The Integrating Between Cleaner Production and Benchmarking Practices and Its Impact on Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Abstract

This research aims to clarify the theoretical foundations of both cleaner production and benchmarking, as well as the role of cleaner production within the framework of benchmarking in achieving sustainable competitive advantage for agricultural companies, particularly fish farming companies.  The cleaner production methodology focuses on implementing production methods that promote sustainable development and finding solutions to the challenges faced by these companies.  On the other hand, the benchmarking methodology guides companies in adopting the ideas and practices of leading and successful companies in the same sector, thus enabling them to chart a path for development and achieve competitiveness. This research focused on the fish farming sector in Iraq, using the Tigris Company as a case study for application and comparison of results. This was due to the challenges faced by companies in this sector, as well as the need to develop this industry and introduce modern management and production technologies that aim to achieve sustainable competitive advantages for companies and open new horizons for economic growth and development.  One of the main conclusions of this research is that there is a synergistic relationship between cleaner production and benchmarking, which contributes to economic development by leveraging the experiences of others and applying them using modern methods that reduce costs and achieve sustainable competitive advantages.