Research on Supply Chain Issues and Improvements for UK Fruit and Vegetable Sectors

The key objectives of this report are to research the supply chain issues highlighted for the fruit and vegetable sectors as per the food security report of the UK. Moreover, the report will identify what improvements can farm in the UK make to contribute to UK sustainability by working with supermarkets and other retailers

SOURCING AND SUPPIER MANAGEMENT

ASSIGNMENT 1

Thei keyi objectivesi ofi thisi reporti arei toi researchi thei supplyi chaini issuesi highlightedi fori thei fruiti andi vegetablei sectorsi asi peri thei foodi securityi reporti ofi thei UK.i Moreover,i thei reporti willi identifyi whati improvementsi cani farmi ini thei UKi makei toi contributei toi UKi sustainabilityi byi workingi withi supermarketsi andi otheri retailers

I Introduction:

1 Brief of the fruit and vegetable supply chain in UK:

1.1 The role of fruit and vegetable:

Vegetablesi andi fruiti arei criticali elementsi ofi well-balancedi diets,i yeti worldwidei consumptioni fallsi welli shorti ofi currenti internationali dietaryi guidelines.i Onlyi 30%i ofi adultsi andi 18%i ofi childreni ini Englandi meeti thei dailyi recommendationi ofi 5i servingsi ofi fruiti andi vegetablesi (Nationali Healthi Service,i 2018).i Thesei nutrientsi arei vitali fori children'si growthi andi developmenti andi helpi adultsi avoidi hearti disease,i stroke,i cancer,i andi visioni loss.i Accordingi toi Publici Healthi England,i thei typicali Briti consumesi feweri fruitsi andi vegetablesi thani thei WHOi advises

Lowi fruiti andi vegetablei intake,i lowi wholei graini intake,i lowi nuts,i andi seedsi intake,i andi excessivei salti intakei arei thei topi fivei dietaryi riski factorsi fori morbidityi andi earlyi deathi

ini thei UKi (Institutei ofi Healthi Metricsi andi Evaluation,i 2019).i Theyi causei diabetes,i hearti disease,i andi canceri (Aunei D,i 2017).i Underi 25i andi overi 65i eati thei leasti fruiti andi vegetablesi (UKi Foodi Standardsi Agency,i 2018)

Increasedi intakei ofi fruitsi andi vegetablesi mayi increasei foodi systemi sustainabilityi (Publici Healthi England,i 2016)

1.2 An Overview Of United Kingdom Food Security:

"Foodi security"i hasi numerousi meanings.i Foodi securityi isi wheni everyonei hasi physical,i social,i andi financiali accessi toi enough,i safe,i andi nutritiousi foodi fori ani activei andi healthyi lifei (Corair,i 2022)

Foodi Securityi UKi investigatesi UKi foodi supplyi sources.i Iti discussesi UK'si locali andi foreigni foodi supplies.i Iti investigatesi UKi domestici production,i fisheries,i agriculture,i andi foodi wastei beforei andi afteri thei "farmi gate."i Iti examinesi soili condition,i fertiliseri use,i agriculturali inputs,i andi biodiversityi toi preservei nationali productivity.i Foodi securityi requiresi ai strongi domestici foodi productioni systemi andi severali supplyi sourcesi toi preventi overreliancei oni one

1.3 Research the supply chain issues highlighted for the fruit and vegetable sectors

as per food security report of UK:

Thei third-largesti importeri ofi freshi fruiti andi vegetablesi ini Europe.i Ini 2021,i morei thani €7.5i billioni worthi ofi goodsi werei broughti intoi thei UK.i Withi this,i thei countryi isi responsiblei fori abouti 12%i ofi alli freshi fruiti andi vegetablei importsi intoi Europe

Thei UKi producesi morei thani halfi ofi thei vegetablesi consumedi ini thei country,i buti onlyi 16%i ofi thei fruit.i Domestici andi EUi productioni suppliedi 93%i ofi domestici freshi vegetablei consumptioni ini 2020,i whereasi fruiti supplyi wasi morei broadlyi distributedi acrossi thei EU,i Africa,i thei Americas,i andi thei UK.i

Table 1: United Kingdom’s total supply of fruit and vegetables in 1,000 tonnes

CALENDAR

YEAR

Provisional

Homei Production 2.712,4 2.591,2 2.698,9 2.468,0 2.524,3 2.599,3

Total Supply : 4.815,3 4.805,0 4.753,2 4.590,7 4.736,6 4.671,9

asi %i ofi Totali

Supply

Homei Production 776,8 765,1 749,7 730,6 687,9 657,0

Total Supply : 4.351,6 4.489,6 4.585,4 4.235,2 4.183,7 4.027,5

Homei Productioni

asi %i ofi Totali

Supply

Source:i Departmenti fori Environment,i Foodi &i Rurali Affairsi oni GOV.UK Accordingi toi ai UKi foodi securityi analysis,i thei fruiti andi vegetablei industriesi havei supplyi chaini problems:i

a, Food Waste:

Ini 2018,i thei quantityi ofi foodi thati wasi wastedi oni ani annuali basisi ini thei Unitedi Kingdomi reachedi 9.5i millioni tonnes,i asi statedi byi statisticsi giveni byi WRAP.i Thei averagei Britishi householdi wasi responsiblei fori 70i percenti ofi alli post-farmgatei rubbish,i makingi themi thei greatesti contributorsi toi thisi totali ini termsi ofi thei amounti ofi weighti theyi contributed.i Accordingi toi thei surveyi titledi "Householdi Foodi andi Drinki Waste",i fresh fruitsi andi vegetablesi makei upi 36%i ofi thei totali amounti ofi foodi thati isi wastedi ini homes

Table 2: The estimated amount of trash that is generated across the food and drink

supply chain in the UK Supply Chain Stage Million Tonnes % of total waste

Manufacturingi 5.0i 27.2i

Source:i Wastei Arisingsi ini thei Supplyi ofi Foodi andi Drinki toi UKi Households,i WRAP,i 2010

Somei studiesi havei evaluatedi foodi waste'si nationwidei environmentali implications.i Chapagaini andi Jamesi (2011)i foundi thati homei foodi wastei ini thei UKi accountsi fori 3%i of nationali GHGi emissionsi andi 6%i ofi thei country'si wateri footprint.i WRAPi (2013a;i 2015b)i estimatedi 4-4.6i i CO2/ti ofi UKi householdi foodi waste.i

Wheni foodi isi throwni away,i alli ofi thei resourcesi andi otheri valuesi thati arei linkedi withi itsi creation,i suchi asi thei land,i thei water,i thei energy,i andi thei fertilisers,i arei alsoi

"wasted"i (FAOi 2013b;i Housei ofi Lordsi Europeani Unioni Committeei 2014;i Kummui eti al 2012).i Foodi waste,i ini additioni toi havingi negativei effectsi oni thei environment,i alsoi hasi substantiali financiali repercussions.i Thesei costsi arei relatedi withi thei monetaryi worthi ofi thei foodi thati isi wastedi (i.e.,i thei marketi pricei ofi individuali items)i asi welli asi thei expensesi ofi thei maini resourcesi thati arei utilisedi duringi thei manufacture,i transportation,i andi consumptioni ofi thei foodi (Barillai Centeri fori Foodi andi Nutritioni 2014).i Recenti estimatesi suggesti thati thei lossi ofi foodi contributesi toi overalli worldwidei lossesi ofi 750i billioni USD,i withi thei Unitedi Kingdom'si sharei beingi somewherei ini thei neighbourhoodi ofi 28.6i billioni (19i billioni GBP),i omittingi estimatesi ati thei farm-leveli (FAOi 2013b)

Foodi wastei reasonsi fori thei majori foodi groupingsi couldi bei foundi ini Tablei 3 Tablei 3:i

Sources:i ARCi (2012);i Buzbyi andi Hymani (2012);i FAOi (2019);i WRAPi (2019b);i

Williami eti Ali (2020)

b, Climate change:

Therei isi growingi evidencei thati increasingi climatei andi otheri environmentali changesi arei affectingi agriculturali production.i Food-growingi systemsi arei particularlyi vulnerablei toi adversei impactsi ini hoti climates,i wherei farmer-initiatedi institutionsi and adaptivei capacityi arei lower.i Climate-inducedi effectsi oni foodi suppliesi arei evidenti ini food-producingi countriesi andi countriesi dependenti oni foodi imports.i Thei impacti ofi droughti ini Californiai floodsi ini Latini Americai andi extremelyi coldi wintersi ini Italyi andi Spaini oni UKi fruiti andi vegetablei suppliesi illustratesi thei vulnerabilityi ofi thei nationali foodi systemi toi extremei events.i adversei climatei events

Ini 2021,i thei Intergovernmentali Paneli oni Climatei Changei (IPCC)i predictsi thati globali averagei temperaturesi willi risei abovei 1.5°Ci overi thei nexti twoi decadesi abovei pre-industriali levels[ CITATION IPC21 \l 1066 ].i Thei IPCCi alsoi saysi thisi globali warmingi

isi likelyi toi increasei beyondi 2°Ci beforei thei endi ofi thei centuryi unlessi therei isi ai deepi andi sustainedi reductioni ini CO2i andi otheri greenhousei gasi emissionsi ini thei comingi decades

Figure 1 Effect on surface temperature

Thei UKi governmenti didi noti publishi ai responsei toi Dimbleby'si assessmenti followingi thei releasei ofi thei secondi report.i However,i thei governmenti saidi iti wouldi outlinei itsi responsei toi thei reviewi ofi itsi owni foodi strategyi oncei iti isi published.i Thei Ministryi ofi Environment,i Foodi andi Rurali Affairsi hasi publishedi ani assessmenti ofi thei risksi arising fromi climatei change.i Thei reporti saysi thei riski toi thei supplyi ofi vitali food,i goodsi andi servicesi posedi byi climatei changei isi onei ofi thei priorityi riski areas

Figure 2 Changes in UK emissions by sector

Source.i BEISi (2021)i 2020i UKi Greenhousei Gasi Emissions

c, Seasonality:

Seasonalityi variesi byi product,i growingi seasoni andi growingi method,i andi thisi isi importanti toi understandi howi thei UK'si supplyi ofi freshi fruiti andi vegetablesi (FFV)i changesi duringi thei year.i Domestici productioni isi concentratedi ini thei summeri months,i especiallyi fori higheri valuei cropsi suchi asi berries

Figure 3 UK citrus fruit imports seasonal variation

Source:i HMRC

Citrusi fruiti importsi mirrori winteri harvesti seasons,i thereforei EUi importsi are greatesti ini thei UKi winteri wheni supplyi arrivesi fromi thei Mediterranean.i Ini summer,i thei

UKi importsi fromi Southi Africa

Less-traveledi seasonali producei savesi thei environment.i Transportationi emissionsi arei typicallyi loweri thani productioni emissions,i excepti fori air-freightedi berries,i tropicali fruit,i andi greeni beansi (Poorei &i Nemecek,i 2018)i Climate-controlledi greenhousesi minimisei landi consumption,i foodi waste,i pesticides,i andi yields,i yeti they'rei energy-intensive.Globali seasonalityi mayi bei eco-friendly.i Example:

Locallyi farmedi out-of-seasoni tomatoesi ini heatedi greenhousesi havei biggeri carboni footprintsi thani thosei fromi Spain.i Duei toi greenhousei energyi usagei andi GHGi emissions,

in-seasoni Spanishi tomatoesi havei ai loweri carboni footprint.i Thesei emissionsi arei greateri thani Spain-to-UKi transit.i

Locali andi seasonali producei mayi havei lessi environmentali impacts,I yeti globali seasonalityi hasi enlargedi foodi marketsi andi variedi fruiti andi vegetablei suppliesi year-round.i

Thei lowesti GHG-emittingi fruitsi andi vegetablesi arei growni outdoorsi duringi theiri naturali seasoni andi consumedi locally.i Thesei requirei lessi energyi fori heating,i lighting,i refrigeration,i andi storagei thani protected,i imported,i ori storedi produce,i reducingi GHGi emissionsi (MacDiarmid,i 2014).i

II The improvements of farms to contribute to UK sustainability:

Optimize packaging and transportation:

*Packaging:

Recently,i providersi ofi packagingi havei producedi newi packsi thati arei morei suitedi toi thei category.i Theyi havei reducedi thei overalli weighti ofi thei package,i increasedi thei percentagei ofi recycledi contenti ini thei materials,i andi adoptedi variousi technologiesi ini orderi

toi lengtheni thei product'si shelfi life

Durable,i waterproof,i easy-to-cleani lightweighti plastici boxesi havei beeni usedi toi replacei woodeni palletsi andi crates.i Ini addition,i ai speciali openworki containeri isi investedi

toi keepi fruitsi andi vegetablesi fromi beingi crushed,i savingi spacesi andi fueli costs.i (Eufic,i 2020)

*Transportation:

Vegetablesi andi fruitsi arei veryi perishablei andi havei ai lowi cycle.i Soi toi keepi themi fresh,i iti isi veryi essentiali toi optimizei shippingi conditions.i Therefore,i iti isi necessaryi toi havei ai cleari communicationi andi logistici plani betweeni farmers,i warehouses,i coldi storagei operationsi andi refrigerationi equipmenti ati retaili destination.i

Duringi transportationi fromi farmersi toi retailers,i farmersi havei ai goodi “coldi chain”i organizationi toi ensurei theiri productsi arei properlyi refrigerated,i combinedi withi appropriatei coolingi equipmenti toi ensurei thei shippingi processi doesi noti reducei thei quality.i

Enhance the communications across the supply chain.

supermarkets.i Especiallyi ifi thei cropi occursi earlieri ori lateri thani plannedi duei toi subjectivei

ori objectivei factors.i Thisi isi desirablei toi reducei waste,i ori shortage,i toi havei ai backupi such

asi findingi ani alternativei market.i

Highi on-shelfi availabilityi demonstratesi thei sophisticationi ofi retailers'i replenishmenti processes.i Suppliersi havei devisedi complexi productioni planningi systemsi toi deali withi thei manyi productsi presentedi toi givei "ai pointi ofi distinction."i ERPi technologyi hasi generallyi reducedi waste

Manyi freshi producei companiesi havei engagedi ini thisi technologyi toi handle enormousi amountsi ofi fruiti whilei satisfyingi quality,i packaging,i delivery,i andi traceabilityi regulations.i Byi swiftlyi exchangingi qualityi controli datai withi thei producer,i thei packeri mayi highlighti qualityi concerns,i allowingi thei groweri toi fixi them.i Real-timei systemsi may providei date-relatedi warningsi toi dispatchi merchandise.i Benefitsi ofi suchi systemsi arei besti realisedi wheni thei wholei supplyi chaini isi included,i noti justi onei stepi (Terryi &i Whitehead,i 2011)

Develop different distribution channels

Iti isi estimatedi thati upi toi 3%i ofi thei entirei quantityi ofi foodi wastei createdi ini thei UKi

isi comprisedi ofi excessi foodi thati isi suitablei fori reuse.i Thisi equatesi toi 10%i ofi thei 3.9i millioni tonnesi ofi foodi thati isi wastedi annuallyi byi thei foodi andi drinki sectori (FareSharei 2015)

Thei sustainablei redistributioni ofi surplusi foodi fori humani consumptioni cani bei accomplishedi throughi ai varietyi ofi channels,i includingi charitablei organisationsi andi

sellingi surplusi foodi ini farmers'i marketsi ori ini communityi shopsi ati discountedi prices);i ori thei establishmenti ofi newi valuei chainsi andi businessesi byi transformingi surplusi foodi intoi newi products,i suchi asi chutneys,i jams,i andi juices.i Iti cani bei redistributedi toi thei foodi charitiesi combinedi withi ai networki ofi retailersi toi givei foodi toi thei poori andi needyi ini thei locality.i

Just-In-Time supply chain

Just-in-timei supplyi chainsi reducei inventory.i Perishablei itemsi (meat,i apples, avocados)i neveri siti ini storagei fori lengthyi durations.i Thisi decreasesi thei periodi betweeni harvesti andi consumption,i optimizingi freshnessi andi clienti demand

Runningi ai just-in-timei supplyi chaini requiresi minute-by-minutei coordination.i Everyi stepi hasi toi bei assimilatedi fromi harvesting,i production,i re-orderingi toi finali delivery.i Byi aligningi thei just-in-timei supplyi chaini fromi farmersi toi retailersi withi utmosti precision.i Thisi preventsi foodi spoilagei andi maximizei operationali efficiencyi (Lindai Rietveld,i 2018)

III Conclusion:

The sustainable development of fruit and vegetable supply chain is always a matter of concern to businesses and the British government Through a sustainable supply chain, companies can develop and do business for a long time Through direct connections between farmers, companies, and consumers, food supply chains must become

intelligent, sustainable, and inclusive in order to promote local sustainable food and agricultural production and build more resilient communities

References:

1 Nationali Healthi Service.i Healthi Surveyi fori Englandi 2017.i London,i UK:i 2018.i [Googlei Scholar ]

2 Batesi B,i Lennoxi A,i Prenticei A,i Batesi C,i Pagei P,i Nicholsoni S,i eti al.oni behalfi ofi thei Foodi Standardsi Agencyi ini Scotlandi andi Publici Healthi Englandi Nationali Dieti andi