Supply chains have inherent risk given the number of actors that interface. While there are some chains that have low frequencies of unfavorable events, many continuously face uncertainty. Food production has many uncertainties along the global supply chain. The global nature of the large logistical networks increases its complexity. Two main sources of uncertainty arise: External and internal to the SC. External factors mainly come from nature (such as "El Niño" phenomenon) and from human activities (such as food and nutrition policy and standards). Internal factors mainly come from operations such as a cold chain disruption. Thus, one needs to minimize risk and improve resilience in order to achieve food security and sustainability. It is then imperative that risk management practices be integrated into the supply chain design and management process. This chapter presents an overview of the main risks involved in global food supply chains, as well as some techniques for risk management.
Global food systems need to become more sustainable, resilient and inclusive. To accelerate this transition, there is a need for scaling innovative strategies for improved Food and Nutrition Security (FNS), particularly for the poor and marginalised. Scaling, however, is not a straightforward or value-free process. The synthesis study examined which dilemmas influence Research for Impact projects that seek to contribute to FNS outcomes at scale, and how blind spots in scaling research and practice are tied to these dilemmas. Being aware of and tackling these blind spots at an early stage contributes to ‘responsible scaling’: not only focusing on technical and socio-economic, but also on ethical considerations about who will benefit or lose out. The findings presented in the full paper are based on insights from ten interdisciplinary research projects funded by NWO-WOTRO that were carried out in countries in East, Southern and the Horn of Africa between 2014–2020.
Food security depends on a network of actors and elements working together to produce and deliver healthy, sustainable, varied, safe and plentiful food supply to society. The interactions between these actors and elements must be designed, managed and optimized to satisfy demand. In this chapter we introduce Food Supply Chain Optimization and Demand, providing a framework to understand and improve food security from an operational and strategic point of view.
Despite their various appealing features, drones also have some undesirable side-effects. One of them is the psychoacoustic effect that originates from their buzzing noise that causes significant noise pollutions. This has an effect on nature (animals run away) and on humans (noise nuisance and thus stress and health problems). In addition, these buzzing noises contribute to alerting criminals when low-flying drones are deployed for safety and security applications. Therefore, there is an urgent demand from SMEs for practical knowledge and technologies that make existing drones silent, which is the main focus of this project. This project contributes directly to the KET Digital Innovations\Robotics and multiple themes of the top sectors: Agriculture, Water and Food, Health & Care and Safety. The main objective of this project is: Investigate the desirability and possibilities of extremely silent drone technologies for agriculture, public space and safety This is an innovative project and there exist no such drone technology that attempts to reduce the noises coming from drones. The knowledge within this project will be converted into the first proof-of-concepts that makes the technology the first Minimum Viable Product suitable for market evaluations. The partners of this project include WhisperUAV, which has designed the first concept of a silent drone. As a fiber-reinforced 3D composite component printer, Fiberneering plays a crucial role in the (further) development of silent drone technologies into testable prototypes. Sorama is involved as an expert company in the context of mapping the sound fields in and around drones. The University of Twente is involved as a consultant and co-developer, and Research group of mechatronics at Saxion is involved as concept developer, system and user requirement verifier and validator. As an unmanned systems innovation cluster, Space53 will be involved as innovation and networking consultant.
Since the 1970s, Caribbean reefs have transitioned from coral-dominated to algal-dominated ecosystems. The prevalence of algae reduces coral recruitment, rendering the reefs unable to recover from additional disturbances and jeopardizing crucial ecosystem services, including coastal protection, fisheries, and tourism. One of the main factors to the proliferation of algae is the scarcity of grazers, which is a result of overfishing and disease outbreaks. While fishing supports livelihoods, enhances local food security, and is an integral part of the Caribbean communities' culture, it remains a significant threat to coral reefs. Consequently, the Nature and Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP) 2020-2030, outlining conservation and restoration priorities in the Caribbean Netherlands, underscores the necessity of an integrated approach to tackle the complex challenges of coral reef restoration and fisheries development. The Saba government, and nature management organizations of Bonaire, St. Eustatius, and Saba are implementing the NEPP. Together with University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein, Wageningen University and WWF, they aim to identify novel species of native invertebrate grazers with the dual purpose of reef restoration and fisheries diversification. The Caribbean king crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), the West Indian sea egg (Tripneustes ventricosus), and the West Indian top shell (Cittarium pica) have been identified as potential candidates. Despite their preference to graze on macroalgae, their current densities are inadequate. Population enhancement of these species holds promise for reducing algae, promoting biodiversity, and simultaneously supporting small-scale fisheries. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the ecological effects and socio-economic potential of these grazers. The ReefGrazers project aims to assess the current densities of these herbivores around the BES islands, analyze their impacts on the reef, and evaluate their retention post-restocking. Socio-economic research will quantify current small-scale fishing practices, while market analysis will help assess the potential for the development of these novel resources as sustainable fisheries.
Foodsecurity, duurzaam gebruik van grondstoffen en water zijn items die zijn terug te vinden in de Grand Challenges in de EU-onderzoekagenda Horizon2020. In de tuinbouw vindt dit zijn plaats door steeds meer op microniveau teelt, groei en oogst te beïnvloeden. De Nederlandse tuinbouw loopt hiermee wereldwijd voorop en de kennis en kunde is een belangrijk exportproduct. Bedrijven hebben niettemin te weinig controle over de gewascondities in de tuinbouwkas met negatieve gevolgen voor de oogstopbrengst en overmatig gebruik van grondstoffen. Het teelt- en oogstproces in een tuinbouwkas kan aanzienlijk worden verbeterd door tot op microniveau een betrouwbaar en integraal beeld te verkrijgen van de verdeling van kritische gewasparameters binnen de kas. Via slimme monitoring kunnen eveneens concentraties van ziektekiemen gedetecteerd worden en 3D-beelden worden gemaakt van het gewas. Met hulp van deze informatie kunnen kwantiteit en kwaliteit van de oogst tot op microniveau worden getraceerd om de relatie tussen genomen maatregelen en verkregen effecten na te gaan. De regel-lus met het monitoringsysteem dient hiervoor te worden gesloten, waardoor men vooraf kan gaan sturen op basis van verkregen kennis en ervaring. Zo kan verkregen informatie worden ingezet b.v. om lokaal efficiënt te draineren en te bewateren en om CO2-gehaltes, hoeveelheid licht en temperatuur optimaal aan te passen aan benodigde kascondities. Ook kunnen effectief maatregelen tegen ziektes op plantniveau worden genomen en kunnen oogstopbrengsten worden gemaximaliseerd. Inzet van slim datamanagement is voor dit alles een must. Ambitie van SCOUT is het ontwikkelen van een integraal monitoringequipment- en methodologieconcept in de kas om gewas- en omgevingsparameters van tomaten op robuuste en betrouwbare wijze te kunnen verzamelen en modelmatig te analyseren. Telers willen deze informatie gebruiken voor het nemen van beheersmaatregelen t.b.v. meer controle op uniformiteit in de vruchtontwikkeling. De ambitie wordt uitgewerkt via opzet van slimme meetmethodieken en data-gebaseerde groeimodellen op plant- en vakniveau, die in de praktijk worden uitgetest met integrale sensorconcepten. Verder wordt een data-infrastructuur ontwikkeld inclusief een data dashboard voor visualisatie van de monitoring resultaten. Zo krijgt de tuinder een real-time beeld van de verdeling van kritische gewasparameters in de kas en kan hij in de toekomst de opbrengst bij de oogst beter voorspellen en beïnvloeden met als doel uniformiteit van de oogst, maximalisering van economische opbrengst en minimalisering van milieu-impact. SCOUT is een samenwerking van kennisinstellingen en bedrijven. Partners zijn de hogescholen: HAS hogeschool, Avans, Fontys , Inholland, Haagse Hogeschool en de NHL. WUR ondersteunt het project met wetenschappelijk advies. Participerende bedrijven zijn telers van met name tomaten of toeleveranciers van technologie aan de glastuinbouw. Tenslotte is de landelijke gewascommissie Tomaat en Paprika van LTO Glaskracht Nederland (onderdeel ZLTO) betrokken. SCOUT maakt bestaande kennis toepasbaar en ontwikkelt nieuwe kennis t.b.v. een slimme en robuuste sensor- en data-infrastructuur en groeimodellering in de kas. Verder vindt verankering van kennis en kunde in onderwijs en lectoraten plaats en een vergroting van de kwaliteit van docenten en afstudeerders. Circa 20 (docent)onderzoekers van de hogescholen en circa 100 studenten worden betrokken, die via stages en afstudeeronderzoeken werken aan interessante vraagstukken direct afkomstig uit de beroepspraktijk.
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