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Book review : Food Supply Chain Management - Publications Article
The article entitled: "Book review : Food Supply Chain Management" is in the Publications Articles section of Operations Management Papers area...
ARTICLE DESCRIPTION: This book sounds like one of those titles you really should have read as a professional operating in the supply chain and associated food industry, so I was intrigued to see what I could learn as a practitioner in this area. For a business activity that is so central to our everyday lives, and one responsible for employing more than 15% of the UK workforce, it is surprising that no authoritative text already covers the food supply chain. Benefiting from an impressive list of contributors, this book ambitiously sets out cover the end-to-end supply chain, from 'farm to fork'.
MORE INFO: Book review : Food Supply Chain Management This book sounds like one of those titles you really should have read as a professional operating in the supply chain and associated food industry, so I was intrigued to see what I could learn as a practitioner in this area. For a business activity that is so central to our everyday lives, and one responsible for employing more than 15% of the UK workforce, it is surprising that no authoritative text already covers the food supply chain. Benefiting from an impressive list of contributors, this book ambitiously sets out cover the end-to-end supply chain, from 'farm to fork'. The book is clearly laid out stepping through a series of chapters, each of which is well referenced to allow the reader to explore any particular area more deeply, however, there were points in the text where as a reader I wanted to be provided with some greater detail. After generally positioning the food supply chain and its relationship with the consumer, the authors walk us through each activity in the supply chain, managing to find good balance between detail and flow. The influence of local, national and global factors are discussed, as well as, where and how the regulatory framework comes into play across the supply chain. The chapter on risk is quite theoretical, perhaps dealing more with perception rather than exploring actual risks, their management and the systems of control that are being developed at a more operational level. The chapter on procurement helpfully positions the buyer-seller relationship and the various strategies that may apply - a couple more case studies would have helped bring to life what businesses are actually achieving. For anyone wishing to understand the food supply chain, the chapters on livestock systems and crop production are essential and informative, with helpful contextualisation of production methods and constraints, as well as the overarching legislation that governs supply. The chapters on food manufacturing, retailing and UK supermarket networks focus on the broad (mega) trends, painting a landscape of what is happening from conversion to the point of sale, as well as identifying niche activities that are now emerging. Personally, I would have liked to read more on how retail dynamics (eg. convenience) are changing supply and distribution characteristics. The chapter on third party logistics presents an authoritative breakdown of the major factors at play in distribution economics and the chapter on temperature control is again essential for anyone concerned with this sector. A couple of chapters covering specific issues and likely trends round off this text. This is a good all round text, that is accessible and genuinely covers all aspects of the food supply chain. It is timely, given the attention now focused on this business activity, and should be considered an essential read by any supply chain professional, regardless of which area they work in. Julian Mosquera, FIOM LCP Consulting Ltd
PUBLISHER: Institute of Operations Management
Page number: 9 Word count: 500
Vol 31 - No 04 - June 2005
The article can be downloaded in full from the publisher's site i.e. the Institute of Operations Management.
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