Cauliflower Supply Chain: Sustainability Analysis

Introduction

Cauliflower is a highly nutritious and popular vegetable that is challenging to grow. It requires much soil space to grow properly and necessitates continuous adequate care, regular watering, and protection from harmful factors. It is vulnerable in storage and requires strict timing and conditioning with transportation, packaging, and distribution. The requirements for sustainable agriculture impose standards for minimizing food waste and increasing the capacity for growing, harvesting and distributing fresh vegetables (Allen, Bas-Defossez, and Weigelt, 2018). Within the framework of the European Union Legislation related to sustainable agriculture and food safety, the production of cauliflower should be conducted through the free movement of food and prioritizing of human life and health protection, as well as environmental protection (Allen et al., 2018). Adequately aligned supply chain elements play a decisive role in the implementation of sustainability agendas in agriculture.

Supply Chain of Cauliflower Production and Distribution in Ireland

The supply chain behind the production and distribution of cauliflower in Ireland includes multiple stakeholders who perform their respective roles within upstream and downstream supply chain elements. The upstream supply chain stakeholders include farmers who grow and harvest the vegetable, transportation agencies that deliver cauliflower from farms to the sorting locations, and sorting, packaging, and labeling participants. At the downstream stage of the supply chain, the stakeholders engage in practices aimed at timely delivery and reasonable distribution of the sorted, packed, and labeled product to retailers across Ireland, through which cauliflower reaches the ultimate recipients – the consumers. The supply chain is linear and vertical, which allows for more sustainable supply chain change.

Farmers’ Impact on the Environment

At the stage of production, when cauliflower is grown and harvested, farmers directly interact with the environment. Firstly, the process of watering the vegetables requires the use of exhaustible water resources (Allen et al., 2018). Secondly, since the plant requires much space in soil, it is exploited with potential harm to the environment. Finally, possible utilization of growth stimulation in vegetables might harm the soil, thus hindering its potential for further exploitation in sustainable agriculture. Thus, farmers are key stakeholders in the cauliflower supply chain; their decision-making and production practices directly impact the environment.

Environmental Impact of Transporting

When the cauliflower is transported, the agencies that use trucks or other transportation means have an impact on the environment. Firstly, the capacity of the truck predetermines the amount of fuel used and influences the volume of emission to which the atmosphere is exposed. Secondly, the frequency of deliveries associated with the vulnerability of the vegetable in terms of storage might impose CO2 emissions. Overall, the adequacy of route logistics that facilitates both load capacity and trip frequency, as well as the choice of the transportation means, indicates a significant potential of a threat to the environment. Nonetheless, these factors might be integrated and adequately adjusted for more sustainable transportation.

Packaging Impact on the Environment

The stage of packaging is also significantly associated with environmental issues. One of the most important ones is the choice of materials for packaging. Since plastic crates and plastic-based wrappings are the most cost-effective and light materials for packaging, they are prioritized by stakeholders when cauliflower is sorted, packed, and labeled (Perez-Mesa et al., 2019). Moreover, the capacity of crates used for pre-distribution packaging plays a significant role in plastic waste management. Indeed, a higher capacity level implies fewer crates, which ultimately minimizes plastic waste as the result of the transportation of cauliflower from warehouses to retailers. Finally, given the particularities of cauliflower, which is a fragile vegetable, interlayer packaging using plastic is possible, which leads to harmful effects on the environment due to increased garbage volumes.

Retailer’s Impact on the Environment

Similar to packaging, the most significant environmental concern related to retailing of cauliflower is the utilization of plastic wrapping when the vegetable is distributed and displayed in the shops for buyers. The choice of such wrapping protects the vegetables from damage and enhances storage duration. However, it increases the potential for plastic pollution in the long run. Another environmental issue is the alignment with the guidelines for proper storage of cauliflower before sales to minimize food waste, which is harmful to the environment. Finally, the engagement of retailers in the promotion of sustainable purchasing choices in consumers through marketing techniques minimizes harm and facilitates sustainable behavior.

Consumers’ Impact on the Environment

Consumers as final recipients of the supply chain and key stakeholders are particularly involved in the environmental effects and sustainable practices. Consumers might impose a threat on the environment by non-timely consumption of vegetables, which implies much food waste. Moreover, the consistency in sustainable purchasing behavior minimizes the likelihood of producing waste and enhances the opportunities for choosing vegetables that have been produced using sustainable practices. Finally, similarly to shop storage, consumers might choose to store cauliflower using plastic containers or bags in their households.

Timely consumption to eliminate waste

Conclusions and Recommendations

The analysis of the cauliflower supply chain demonstrates that all the stakeholders involved in the processes of growing, harvesting, transporting, storing, sorting, packaging, selling, and consuming have a significant impact on the environment. To minimize the potential for harm and abide by the guidelines of legislation encouraging sustainability, several recommendations might be suggested. Firstly, a simplified linear supply chain should be enhanced to minimize unnecessary procedures. Secondly, the sustainability awareness of all stakeholders should be facilitated through collaborative efforts and stakeholder alignment. Thirdly, planning for reasonable use of water and soil at the staging of growing and harvesting should be applied to ensure sustainable use of exhaustible resources. Fourthly, improved transportation logistics and capacity practices should be implemented alongside the choice of environment-friendly transportation means. Fifthly, it is essential to shift from plastic to recyclable materials for packaging to minimize plastic waste. Finally, the promotion of sustainability-oriented consumption in consumers should be initiated. Thus, minor changes to the supply chain management of cauliflower production and distribution will provide significant positive outcomes for the environment.

References

Allen, B., Bas-Defossez, F. and Weigelt, J. (2018) Feeding Europe: Agriculture and sustainable food systems. Web.

Perez-Mesa, J.C., Piedra-Munoz, L., Garcia-Barranco, M. and Giagnocavo, C. (2019) ‘Response of fresh food suppliers to sustainable supply chain management of large European retailers’, Sustainability, 11(14), pp. 1-24.