Transport sector key to feeding world’s record population

On October 27, 2011, the United Nations estimated that the world’s population reached 7bn. This landmark event was accompanied by many cataclysmic warnings of the impact of over-population. Wars, hunger, water shortages and disease have been forecast by many commentators should the number of people in the world continue to grow at its present rate.

It should be noted that fears of population growth are not new and its impact is generally over-played. Developments in farming and technology have so far allowed food production to keep pace with the growth in the number of hungry mouths.

However if the world is to keep feeding its ever-burgeoning population, more will have to be done. Over-looked by many, the transport and logistics sector will play an increasingly important role in these efforts.

Although empirical evidence is scarce, it is estimated that in the developing world between a third and a half of food is lost post-harvest, between farmer and consumer.

Whilst there is no doubt that advances in food technology and farm productivity will help mitigate the effects of the world’s rising population, these gains will be negated unless more is done to improve the efficiency of supply chains. Upgrading transport infrastructure; better trucks; better packaging; enhancing the reliability of power supplies (allowing for more refrigerated storage) as well as improving training would have immediate benefits. Much can be done to encourage private and government support for these highly-achievable aims.

The problem is most acute in the perishable fruit and vegetable sector. Most fresh produce is transported in an unpackaged form and is often sold at markets where handling dramatically reduces its shelf life. Considerable research has been undertaken showing that use of (very cheap) low density polyethylene film, combined with temperature controlled storage (13-14 degrees Celsius) can extend the shelf life of bananas, for example, from 5-7 days up to 45 days.

Distribution of produce is characterised by transportation in open-sided trucks which are used to move goods up to 850 km. As well as the obvious problem of decay in hot conditions, poor handling, over-loading of goods without separation, rutted roads and lack of ventilation all play a role in the degradation of produce.

Interestingly, it seems the priority given to increasing farming productivity, whilst ignoring the inefficiency of the overall supply chain, has clear parallels with the now discredited industrial production strategies of the 1970s. What manufacturer these days would be happy with half its products being unusable by the time they arrived at the customer?

By focusing on reducing waste in the supply chain, rather than purely on production efficiencies, more food will arrive where it is most needed, at a lower cost to the consumer. This will not only increase farmer income but also alleviate poverty and hunger.

Production levels are already sufficient to feed the world’s population for many years to come. The real challenge is getting these products from farm to fork (or chopstick) with the minimum of waste.

Quelle: eyefortransport
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