September/October 2019 - 21

REDUCING WASTE
" Selection, for instance, is very
important because if we exclude the
damaged fruit we prevent infection of
healthy fruit, " Huesmann said.
To reduce losses these tasks must be
done carefully and properly, and this
requires trained staff.
During washing, waxing and sorting,
product is usually transported using
conveyor belts. It is necessary to inspect
these belts regularly to make sure there
are no sharp edges or rough edges that
could damage product, he said.
Damage can occur during packaging
as well. Not having suitable packaging
machines can lead to knocks, cuts
and falls.
The use of low-quality postharvest
products, such as wax, can also lead
to losses, Huesmann said. " Forty days
in a container without this treatment
is the worst case, " he said.
Untrained packers may make all sorts
of mistakes that impact quality, said
Huesmann, who pointed to damaged
fruit, mislabeled product and improperly
calibrated machinery as examples.
Fruit quality is impacted during
transportation as well. " In the best case,
we transport directly from the farmer to
the point of sale or client, " Huesmann
said. " But this is not always possible,
so we have to plan our transport very
well because in many cases transport
costs are higher than the value of the
raw product. "
Transit handling
Mistakes made in transportation
include: not having sufficient means and
time to transport, use of inappropriate
transportation for product, faulty
palletization, incorrect handling of
the packaged product when loading and
unloading and incorrect temperature
settings.
In developing countries, Huesmann
said the use of inappropriate trucks on
bad roads causes excessive vibration
that damages product.
Further down the chain, losses occur
where expiration dates and proper
packaging are not used. " Most farmers
never communicate with their final
OPERATIONS
customer, " Huesmann said. " This is
why they don't know what is happening
in the market, what packaging they
need, what size they need... Only
the supermarket or the wholesaler
communicate with the final customer. "
Consumers themselves need educating
about postharvest loss. In industrialized
countries, consumers have become used
to low prices, Huesmann said. As a
result, they no longer appreciate value.
" I will never waste an iPhone, "
he said. " But a kilo of oranges is not
expensive, so I waste it very easily. "
The most important path to waste
reduction is knowledge, Huesmann said.
" We will not be able to plan without
knowledge, " he said. " Planning and
communication are the most important
factors for well-functioning logistics
throughout the supply chain.
" We have many possibilities to
improve. And with this, we can also
improve profits in our business. We
also have a responsibility to prevent
postharvest losses because so many
people in the world are going hungry. "
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19
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September/October 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2019
