The Lean Farm: Application of Tools and Concepts of Lean Manufacturing in Agro-Pastoral Crops

Abstract

Agriculture must find new ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency to meet the rising demand for products, avoiding waste due to potential food scarcity. Through the systematic literature review methodology, this study analyzes and synthesizes the existing literature on lean manufacturing (LM) applied in agro-pastoral production, its impact on reduction in losses and waste, and productivity increases considering production function mechanism (PFM), connecting to a sustainability model based on triple bottom line (TBL). A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify relevant studies and critically evaluate them using pre-determined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings provide insights into LM applied in agro-pastoral production and inform future research in the field, highlighting the potential of using LM concepts by reducing losses and waste and increasing productivity. The potential for TBL impacts from application of lean concepts in agro-pastoral production suggests a tendency for growth in this area of research. A theoretical understanding of how lean tools and techniques can be applied to improve productivity and profitability in the agricultural sector is provided, as well as practical examples and recommendations for implementing lean practices in agricultural operations, aligning sustainability and LP tools and concepts.