1. Post-harvest Technology
A major food security contribution

2. FBR’s position in the innovation funnel
Applied Research
assessment
Demonstration Implementation
assesment
assesment
Fundamental
research
businessimpact
Knowledge Push
Market Pull
Wageningen University
FBR: a CRO
Industry
Consultancy
Training
Pilots

3. Food & Postharvest science for impact!!!
In 7 area’s of expertise
 Post-harvest technology
 Supply chain management
 Food quality & analysis
 Sustainable process technology
 Biorefinery
 Food design & structuring
 Consumer science
 Intelligent systems
Focus on practical results

4. FBR serving fresh food supply chains
Retail is the major outlet for fresh food in EU
● EU/USA: 90%
● Egypt: 3-5%
● Export to EU retail!
 Retailers need large volumes
● Buying power -> comply with rigid specs
● High quality = Consistent quality
● Seasonal shift, global sourcing
● Safety: not negotiable (MRL!!!)

5. Global sourcing put quality at risk
 Storage & transport time longer
 Shelf life guarantees
 No PHL and PH waste: impact food security

6. Fresh produce losses: 35% on average
Distributio
n
consume
r
Developing
countries
21% 12%
Developed
countries
11% 23%
Only minor set of Egyptian data
available
?????50% tomatoes ???????

7. Top-10 reported causes PHL in F&V Supply Chains
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Storagefacilities
Coldchains/transportclimatecontrol
Producthandling/grading/sizing
Packaging
Infrastructurequality/connectivity
Marketinfo/pricing
Processnigcapacity
Education/R&D
Investment/credit
access
qualitystandards
numberofreferences
causecategory
Typical
FBR
knowledge
domains

8. FBR’s fresh chain solutions
 Cold chain: monitoring: Q, T, RH
 Storage (facilities): CA, ULO, mixed load
 Transport: protocols for perishable handling
 Pre-cooling systems & protective package: design
 Quality control, bio-markers: Q-prediction
 Ripening control: RTE on demand

9. The FBR smart chain concept
Initial
Quality
Chain
condition
Quality
development
Known
Quality
+
+
=
From FIFO to FEFO

10. Characteristics PHT knowledge
 Public Post-Harvest R&D capacity: not well developed
● Big companies: have own R&D, do not share
 Academia: No drive towards industry: publication first!
● Poorly funded: not a rocket science, not sexy
 Local institutes/uni’s do not fulfill PH business demands
● Focus on breeding/cropping/water/pests

11. Strenghten PHT knowledge base
 Make PHT knowledge available
 Use agrologistics forum or NoE
 Case Egypt
 Sustain this:
● Built up local PH-capacities in a regional PHIC’s
● Do PH-research & pilots with local products
● Improve skills: education/training/extension
● Showroom: novel technologies,
● Services: packing, processing, Q-inspection

12. Essential data example: vine tomatoes NL.
Temperature
Distribution
[days]
8°C 10°C 12°C 18°C
9 ++ ++ + ---
11 ++ + + ---
14 + + --- / + ---
17 + --- / + --- ---
19
--- /
+
--- / + --- ---

13. PH Innovation Centers (PHIC) <-> FBR
 FBR advice for the design (interior)
● Lessons already learned in NL.
● what works/what doesn’t
 Hardware:
● Labs, analysers, scaled storage facilities
 Software:
● Methods
● Effective research approach
● Procedures

14. How to make a PHIC effective?
 Orgware: make the right research teams
● Expertise groups
 Connect to agri-business (PPP)
● IP issues to be solved
● Practical pilots (chain approach)
 Well defined multi-disciplinary research projects
● Aims, goals, methods, effects, deliverables

15. Kick start: make the PHIC mobile!!
 A new PHIC = very long lead time before start
● Feasibility – organising - planning - fund raising –
building
● Endurance
● Use in peak season only
 Narrowing the time gap:
● Use a mobile FBR lab (ML)
● Designed by FBR
● Built by: ??

16. Strenghtening the knowledge base now
Tailor made interventions:
Train the trainer
On the spot, in company workshops

17. FBR’s post-harvest modules: 10-15
For regional workshops or in-company courses
- General & product-specific
- Ornamentals included

18. Conclusions
 FBR post-harvest knowledge available for Egyptian initiatives
● Agro-logistic forum: member
● Pilots: ready to help
● Raising a PHIC
 FBR PHT value chain approach:
● All inclusive
● Food processing
● Biorefinery
● Consumer preferences
● SCM

19. All this for the benefit of the consumer
and the agri-business
• Safe food
• High nutritional value
• Excellent quality
• Available
• Not wasted
• Year-round supply
• Tasty
• Sustainably produced