'It’s like building a cathedral'

A CO2-neutral supply chain without losses due to waste is of course a pipe dream for now. In her inaugural speech, Prof Dr Jacqueline Bloemhof-Ruwaard said that turning it into reality will be a long process requiring patience, with good ideas and experience gradually leading to sustainability.

When accepting the post of personal professor of sustainable logistics management at Wageningen University on January 8, Prof Dr Jacqueline Bloemhof-Ruwaard spoke about how multidimensional solutions can be found in the complex decision-making around logistics processes in which the environment is a significant factor. “It’s like building a cathedral,” she said.

Definition

Sustainable logistics management means consideration of the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases or pollutants throughout the entire supply chain, from the producer up to and including the consumer. In addition, losses due to wastefulness, such as through spoilage or waste, must be minimised, including of course for finite natural resources such as silver or phosphate. Moreover the financial component of the chain may not be negatively impacted and social needs and wishes must be respected.

Complex

In order to successfully apply this broad definition of sustainability within logistics, it is necessary to analyse the entire food or materials supply chain. Unlike implementing a construction plan, which is executed in line with a clear drawing, the end result is not fixed in advance. “The logistics of our raw materials and food chain has become much too complex for that,” said Prof Bloemhof in her speech, titled 'Sustainable Logistics Management: From Castle on the Cloud to Cathedral'. Raw materials, energy and (semi-finished) products from all four corners of the world are transported, combined and processed into consumer products.

According to a report by Rabobank, the long and complicated agrifood chain accounts for 70 percent of the global water consumption, 40 percent of land use and 30 percent of the world’s energy consumption – not to mention the fact that between 30 and 50 percent of all food intended for human consumption is not actually eaten by humans. Hence, there are plenty of gains to be made in terms of sustainability.

Uncertain outcome

In order to gain an overview of such enormous and complex flows of raw materials, energy and products, a fundamental analysis of the entire chain is essential. But it’s not easy. “There is currently no generally accepted or minimum standard for sustainability,” stated Prof Bloemhof. “That means that when one starts to analyse a product chain the sustainable outcome is uncertain, just as the builders of a cathedral in Mediaeval times didn’t know how the fruits of their labour would ultimately look,” she said in illustration. Only when all the components have been identified and the relationships between them are clear is it possible to see which adjustments will have which effects. “This can mean that a factor that someone regards as very important, such as local production (in greenhouses), is less favourable overall because greenhouse cultivation sometimes uses more energy than is consumed in global transportation flows.”
Prof Bloemhof’s research team develops mathematical computer models to analyse food chains. Inputting the details of a certain chain enables the objectives of companies, governments and environmental organisations to be compared against existing benchmarks. The researchers can then explore how sustainability within the chain can be improved step by step.

Circular economy

“The general conclusion remains that, for the complex area of sustainable logistics management, there is no single solution which always applies everywhere and in every situation,” cautioned the professor. “There is a broad range of potential solutions which can vary depending on the situation, the country, the product and local legislation or because of factors such as labour costs or the price of fuel. I foresee a transition from a linear economy (from farm to fork) to a circular economy with closed loops, whereby the raw materials will come from renewable biomass which is then transformed into products with value.”

'A CO2-neutral supply chain without losses due to waste is of course a pipe dream for ‘now’'