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Sustainable Food Supply Chains: Towards a Framework for Waste Identification

Abstract

Reduction of waste in food supply chains is an important sustainability issue. More efficient utilisation and management of the resources and values created in food supply chains can contribute to improving competitiveness, and environmental and social responsibility. This study uses the seven wastes approach from lean theory to classify categories of waste in fresh food supply chains and to identify at which stage of the supply chain waste occur. A case is used to illustrate the applicability of the classification. The analysis identifies four categories of waste in the fresh food supply chain; time, distance, energy and mass. The study indicates that the majority of waste is hidden in time, energy and mass categories, related to overproduction, defects and transportation.

Category

Academic chapter

Language

English

Author(s)

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Digital / Technology Management
  • Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Year

2013

Publisher

Springer

Book

Advances in Production Management Systems: Competitive Manufacturing for Innovative Products and Services

ISBN

9783642403514

Page(s)

208 - 215

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository