Browsing by Author "Chen, Pinquan"

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    A toolkit for cold chain requirements from supplier to distribution centre : a fruit and vegetable case
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Chen, Pinquan; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila Louise; Van Eeden, Joubert; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Logistics.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Food loss and waste are a growing concern globally due to its environmental, social, and economic impacts. It is estimated that one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted or lost in South Africa annually, which equates to an estimated 10 million tonnes of food, and fresh fruit and vegetables account for 44% of the total food loss and waste. The alarming amount of fresh fruit and vegetable food loss must be investigated from upstream the supply chain, from the suppliers to the first distribution centres. Ensuring members in this section of the supply chain are well-educated and informed about the cold chain requirements that influence food loss motivates the need for this research to be conducted. The objectives of the research study can be divided into five categories. Firstly, the study aims to understand the functionality and procedures of a fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain, specifically from suppliers to the first distribution centres. Secondly, it aims to identify the stakeholders in this section of the supply chain. Thirdly, it aims to comprehend and categorise fresh fruit and vegetable products according to their cold chain requirements. Fourthly, it aims to identify and define the fundamental protocols and best practices that supply chain members can implement to ensure the effective handling, storage, and distribution of fresh fruit and vegetables. Lastly, by synthesising the inputs from the first four objectives, the researcher developed a toolkit to provide guidance and education to supply chain members on an operational level from a cold chain integrity and food loss perspective. The research study followed a deductive approach and was exploratory and cross-sectional in nature. An integration between quantitative data and qualitative data was used, which resulted in a mixed-method approach. The study made use of both primary and secondary data collection methods. Primary qualitative data was collected in the form of exploratory interviews during observations and semi-structured interviews with industry experts. Furthermore, this study used secondary qualitative data in the form of a systematic literature review and a stakeholder analysis. Secondary quantitative data were also used in the form of historical industry data and data from an independent trial conducted by the researcher. Research objectives were met successfully by answering all the research questions, and an operational toolkit was developed as the output of the study. The toolkit consists of four tools: namely, the fresh fruit and vegetable cold chain stakeholders and related processes, the fresh fruit and vegetable categorisation and cold chain requirements, the fresh fruit and vegetable handling, storage, and distribution protocols, and the fresh fruit and vegetable supplier onboarding checklist. Finally, the toolkit was validated by industry experts to ensure its reliability and validity.