Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
3 The Environmental Impact of the Food
Supply Chain
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
A supply chain is the network involved in the production, delivery, and sale of a product or
products. It engages suppliers of raw materials, processing facilities, warehouses and
distribution centers, transporters, and retailers who are the final point of sale.
In the case of food products, a constant flow of food from producers to consumers is
possible as a result of the management of a well managed supply chain, which depends not
only on an arrangement of ingredients and processing technologies, but also on climate,
seasons, weather patterns, and the limited shelf life of food products. When compared with
other supply chains, the
perishability factor
adds two dimensions to the food supply chain,
time and handling,
which create the need for special transportation, storage, handling, and
distribution systems to bring the final consumer a food product that is safe, palatable, visually
attractive, and with the highest nutritional value.
In developed countries, the availability of fruits and vegetables does not change significantly
during the year thanks to a sophisticated supply chain. The seasonality of certain produce is
noticed by consumers only because of the fluctuation on volume and price levels of products
offered. Highly perishable foods such as strawberries are accessible the year around thanks to a
coordinated effort of producers, processors, and distributors. There is no need to deprive yourself
of a gin and tonic at any time of the year because of the lack of limes to garnish your drink. An
orchestrated system of citrus production coupled with processors and distributors is in place to
provide a continuous stream of limes to the market at any time of the year.
These two examples depict the efforts the food industry makes to put food products in the mar-
ket that are not essential but are desired by consumers. The system has come a long way since food
processing was started as a practice to preserve food products necessary for survival. As food pro-
cessing evolved into a science and markets developed as a result of population and income growth,
opportunities for production and distribution of a wide variety of food products became a reality.
A food supply chain model
Figure 3.1 shows a simplified model of the food supply chain. The chain starts with the pro-
duction of raw materials and ends when materials are delivered to the final customer. Opposed
to the flow of materials is information, which goes from the consumption stage all the way
back to the first link in the chain: supply of raw materials.
