‘ Lean thinking ’, originally Toyota ’ s recipe to cut waste in car manufacturing , has been thoughta potential formula for sustainable global food supply chains for about 10 years .

But this is the first time researchers factor in the larger landscape , looking from field level up at forward integrated supply chains for fruit , rather than muchstudied red meat .

“ One key finding is that growers need to talk to their stakeholders more ,” said Dr Manoj Dora atBrunel University London .

“ In the past , these farmers just kept producing endlessly , which caused a lot of waste and led to considerable losses of money . But now , incorporating lean

management methods into their day-to-day operations , suppliers are starting to respond to demand .”

Lean thinking can help farmers simplify the farming process , eliminate waste and improve productivity . The added benefit of that is that it can also be green . “ When you use fewer resources ,” said Dora , “ you use less energy , less water – those are the extra advantages of applying lean .”

The international research team tracked four large South African apple and pear growers trading as two separate co-ops in the Western Cape ’ s Ceres and Elgin districts . Researchers wanted to see how growers modify practices to bolster productivity and sustainability as international and local fresh fruit suppliers . The two co-ops run forward integrated supply chains spanning cold storage , packing packaging , transport , marketing and sales . This means they prioritise customer needs when they control and talk to the supply chain .

All four growers aimed to bring in new practices and technologies to maximise yield , reduce food waste and use resources more efficiently . Tending to be risk averse , they introduced innovations on an informal ‘ try it first , see if it works ’ basis . This created in a system highly integrated with traditional farming and neat at reducing waste .

“ Only six or seven years ago we were exporting to sixty-four countries ,” said one of the growers . “ Now we export to more than one hundred countries . Yes , this can be complex , but it is also beneficial . Some clients might order less than planned for , whilst others may order more , the diversity of the portfolio helps to balance things out in the end .”

Marrying up production with consumer demand – or using pull , rather than push production – was a key challenge . Growers tackled this with a forward contracting process with buyers putting in initial orders a year ahead , then cementing the final figures a few

weeks before the delivery date . Adjusting the shape , height and widths of rows of trees is another innovation that cut waste and tractor use and made picking more productive .

“ One key finding is that growers need to talk to their stakeholders more ”

“ The study highlights how we adjust lean to the particular agricultural sector ,” Dora adds , “ where we see variations in seasonality , weather conditions , soil , moisture – how do we adjust for all those contingency factors .

“ If a car company can use it , then why can ’ t it help farmers become more efficient too ?”

However , this is about “ growing apples , not cars ”. Applying lean to agriculture , he warns , is not straightforward , and needs continuous adjustment and improvement .