Sustainable Postharvest and Supply Chain Management

Course structure

The first three days of the course will be led by lecture-room based learning at Cranfield University. The final day of the course will be held-offsite as a site visit to an industry-leading supply chain facility. 

What you will learn

The course focuses on how sustainable postharvest management can be designed from inception to deployment in the supply chain, incorporating industry best practice with cutting edge bioscience. The sessions take a systems of systems approach, where the challenge is resilience and sustainability of supply chains.

The multidisciplinary of this course will offer attendees a unique exposure to sustainable alternatives for supply chain management. The course includes content on postharvest physiology, sustainable packaging, atmosphere management, non-chemical disease control and non-destructive testing. System approaches for high-level refrigeration alternatives and food loss and waste (FLW) management/quality control are also covered.

The course also delivers expertise on new approaches to demand forecasting and inventory planning models in the fresh produce supply chain. Additionally, and to consider the nexus food-energy, content on energy transitions and energy management strategies will be provided. These topics are supported by real-world examples, and include additional information on system requirements, critical evaluation of new approaches and compatibility with current legislation and certification requirements.

Course content is developed using inputs from our existing industry contacts to ensure that topics covered are both timely and relevant to current demands the UK fresh produce supply chain. 

Core content

Day 1 - Next Generation Postharvest Management

Appreciation of alternative postharvest management strategies is essential in both reducing food loss and waste and the energy demand of the supply chain. Through discussion of real-world examples grounded in excellent fresh produce bioscience, the course frames the role of postharvest innovation in the development of a sustainable supply chain. It also explores the role of food safety management.

• Innovation in Postharvest Management - Fundamental fresh produce physiology will be used to contextualise cutting-edge postharvest technologies to enable you to evaluate the potential for new approaches to reduce food loss and waste in the supply chain. This will include coverage of gaseous environment management, pre- and postharvest management, sustainable packaging and non-chemical quality and disease control.
• New Approaches to Food Quality and Safety Management - You will appraise the need for addressing food safety concerns against a background of sustainable postharvest approaches. This will include exploration of non-destructive testing for quality control and benchmarking, traceability and food certification standards. 
• Implementing Novel Postharvest Strategies - Discussion of cutting-edge postharvest management approaches will enable you to critically evaluate current postharvest approaches and the potential for sustainable alternatives to reduce FLW in the supply chain.

Day 2 - Working Towards a Net Zero Supply Chain

Infrastructural changes will be integral in developing a low-carbon supply chain which can benefit from development of renewable energy sources and low emission technologies. We will cover content on energy transitions and energy management strategies provided by the Centre for Energy Systems and Strategy. This will include discussion of key study cases on transport electrification and charging strategies, optimisation of storage, and techno-economic analysis of systems decarbonisation.

• Building a Net-Zero Economy: Techno-economic and Socio-technical Analysis - Understanding the relationship between technology and society, whilst considering the economic performance and societal good.
• Decarbonisation Transition: Stakeholder Analysis and Management - Identify and appraise the role of key players in the decarbonisation transition, cooperative and potential conflicting goals.
• Energy Systems: Low Carbon Transport & Storage - Evaluate the impact of transport electrification and analyse the need for charging technologies, energy storage and renewable energy solutions. We will also explore the use of artificial intelligence, and machine learning in flexible charging infrastructure.

Day 3 - Optimising Supply Chain Management 

Optimising supply chain management is a key contributor in avoiding food loss and waste through accurate matching of supply with consumer demand and consumption. Expertise from the School of Management will cover new approaches to demand forecasting and inventory planning models in the fresh produce supply chain to guide produce handling approaches. This will also include sustainable strategies for retailers, analysis of contemporary supply chains trends and exploration of how food systems equality can also be used to address FLW generation.

• Demand Forecasting for Food Supply Chains - Utilise innovative models for predicting consumer demand which will be introduced alongside discussion of technological and systemic approaches to enable accurate forecasting of consumer demand in the short, medium and long term. 
• Minimising FLW & Risk Management - Evaluate best practice methods for supply/demand management and perishable inventory management. This will include methods for risk management and building resilience into food supply chains will be evaluated in the context of FLW management and operational performance. 
• Past, Present and Future Operational Strategies for Food Supply Chains - Discussions of real-world case studies will be used to frame the trajectory of future developments against key success stories in supply chain management to enable you to plan development strategies for your supply chain business. 
• Managing Change in the Supply Chain - Use knowledge of methods of implementing new approaches, stakeholder engagement and systems management to achieve improvements in sustainable supply chain management.

Day 4 - Site Visit

• Themes developed during the course will be showcased in a 1-day visit to a industry-leading supply chain site to demonstrate how the themes covered in the course can be exploited in practice. Learning will be consolidated through on-site discussions hosted by key stakeholders, course contributors and host site staff. 

Who should attend

The course is tailored for existing supply chain actors (e.g. technical directors, importers/distributors, Quality Control managers) and is designed to build on pre-existing knowledge and experience of the UK supply chain. MSc and PhD students who would like to expand their practical knowledge in food systems from a holistic perspective will also benefit from this short course, as well as academic who would like to refresh their knowledge. 

Speakers

Dr Ewan Gage

Dr Natalia Falagan

Dr Mari Carmen Alamar

Dr Carol Verheeke-Vaessen

Professor Emel Aktas

Professor Nazmiye Ozkan

Professor Michael Bourlakis

Veryan Bliss, Director, Food Intelligence Ltd. - Veryan has over 30 years' experience of the UK fresh produce supply chain and sits on the board of the Fresh Produce Consortium and the Red Tractor Fresh Produce Board having worked previously in management positions for Suncrop Produce Ltd. and co-chaired the Waitrose agronomy group.

Concessions

Accommodation options and prices

This is a non-residential course. If you would like to book accommodation on campus, please contact Mitchell Hall or Cranfield Management Development Centre directly. Further information regarding our accommodation on campus can be found here.

Alternatively you may wish to make your own arrangements at a nearby hotel.

Location and travel

Cranfield University is situated in Bedfordshire close to the border with Buckinghamshire. The University is located almost midway between the towns of Bedford and Milton Keynes and is conveniently situated between junctions 13 and 14 of the M1.

London Luton, Stansted and Heathrow airports are 30, 90 and 90 minutes respectively by car, offering superb connections to and from just about anywhere in the world. 

For further location and travel details

Location address