Creating sustainable fresh food supply chains through waste reduction

Abstract

Purpose-The aim of this empirical paper is to study information sharing in fresh food supply chains, with a specific goal of reducing waste and facilitating sustainable performance. The study focuses on material and information flow issues, specifically on sharing demand and shelf-life data. Design/methodology/approach-This work has been designed as an exploratory case study in three fresh food supply chains, milk, fresh fish, and fresh poultry, in the Nordic countries. The cases are based on interviews and data from the databases of the companies involved. Each case focuses on analyzing information flow, particularly the current order patterns and forecasting and planning process, and material flow, focusing on the supply chain structure. In two cases significant changes have been made to forecasting processes and material flow, while the third case intends to identify the most beneficial uses of shared information to create a sustainable fresh food supply chain. Findings-The performance of the perishable food chain can be improved by more efficient information sharing. The key to improved operations is how and for which purposes the shared data should be used. In addition, changes in the supply chain structure were needed to speed up the deliveries and ensure shelf availability. The cross-case analysis revealed that improved performance was obtained with parallel changes in information sharing and usage and in material flow. Originality/value-Few studies approach the problem of waste and sustainability from an integrated supply chain perspective. This paper links data sharing with the sustainability performance of the supply chain as a whole.

Reducing food losses by intelligent food logistics

“…A further programme was set up to foster information exchange between retailers and suppliers with the aim of providing more accurate and timely demand forecasting [16]. The effect of such vertical information exchange was also evaluated by Kaipia et al [17] in three case studies in Nordic countries. They showed that losses at retailers could be largely reduced by an automated demand forecast based on a better information flow.…”

“…Beside the work on demand forecasting [16,17] mentioned in §2, Scheer [26] focused on the integration of such aspects with quality tracing and FEFO planning. He suggested a selflearning demand and supply chain management system at the retailer level that gives advice on recommended order quantities, based on reported daily sales and waste owing to overstock.…”

Horticultural Loss Generated by Wholesalers: A Case Study of the Canning Vale Fruit and Vegetable Markets in Western Australia

“…Fruits and vegetables are delicate products that are subjected to a number of natural and physical sources of deterioration during the marketing process that leads to food loss [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. The high loss levels reported (typically~35%) are serious threats to food security and the long-term economic sustainability of the food supply chain for present and future generations [1,[11][12][13]. In addition, fruit and vegetable shortages resulting from loss can also contribute to commodity price increases [14][15][16].…”

“Can Food Waste Be Reduced? An Investigation into Food Waste Management in Hospitality Sector”

“…Keeping in mind the magnitude of food losses, building beneficial interests in decreasing losses could be one method for lessening the expense of food (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, 2014). Food waste is a serious problem in environmental, social & economic terms (Kaipia, et al, 2013) (Gustavsson, et al, 2011). The economic losses have been calculated to cost in to the billions (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, 2015) (Jones, 2004).…”