South African Fruit Industry Research Articles

Do water risk management strategies lead to environmental upgrading in global value chains? A view from South Africa's export fruit industry

Environmental upgrading is becoming increasingly important in terms of leveraging sustainability in global value chains (GVCs). Existing research focuses on environmental upgrading as a process, while the drivers and outcomes often remain unclear. We address this limitation through a qualitative case study of the South African fruit industry based on interviews and documents, where we investigate the drivers and outcomes of environmental upgrading strategies with a focus on irrigation water use and sustainability. We share three important findings in our paper, which contribute to the literature. First, we identify environmental risk as an important driver for environmental upgrades that has so far been overlooked. Second, we question the current focus of environmental upgrading strategies on technological interventions. Focusing on technological interventions alone, however, is insufficient to address local and global challenges regarding water resources sustainability. Our third finding emphasises the need to consider the wider environmental and political economic context within which environmental upgrading takes place. This is because environmental upgrading strategies can actively contribute to the development of environmental risks for other actors, within or beyond value chains, and therefore have clear limits in their contribution to increasing sustainability.

Postharvest pathology, a review of challenges and opportunities in the South African fruit industry

Postharvest pathology, a review of challenges and opportunities in the South African fruit industry

More than floods and droughts: Understanding emergent water risks in South African fruit production networks

AbstractWater is indispensable to agricultural production and trade. Using a global production network (GPN) framework, this article explores the variegated ways water risks manifest in agricultural value chains. Moving beyond extreme events, such as floods and droughts, we explore how the emergence and convergence of political, economic and ecological perspectives during the past 25 years has led to more nuanced understandings of water risks. By doing so, we contribute to ongoing efforts to move the environmental dimension more centrally into GPN literature, emphasising how globalised production and trade enmesh with environmental governance regimes. Our argument draws on empirical evidence from the South African fruit industry, which illustrates how water risks have a physical, reputational and regulatory/political dimension. These water risks are actor and context specific, manifest relationally to each other, and largely originate beyond the individual farm gate. They are often underlying and ongoing rather than one‐off extreme events. These insights develop our understanding of how environmental risks are manifested and managed in GPNs.

Identifying temperature breaks in table grape export cold chains from South Africa to the United Kingdom: A Western Cape case

The South African fruit industry is concerned with increasing losses, both financially and of the produce itself, linked to temperature breaks in the export cold chain. To determine the cause(s) of temperature breaks along their export cold chains of table grapes, Company X, a prominent fruit exporter, requested an independent enquiry be conducted from the Western Cape, South Africa to the United Kingdom.Two rounds of observations were conducted. Firstly, in South Africa at the farms, packhouses, cold stores and the Cape Town Container Terminal and secondly, in the United Kingdom at the Port of London Gateway and the first UK distribution centre. Additional analysis was conducted through the temperature trials enabling a deductive, mixed methods research approach. The data analysed started at the packhouses in South Africa and concluded at the first distribution centre within the United Kingdom.The analysis of the data collected highlighted and confirmed suspected areas prone to temperature breaks as well as identified new, unsuspected areas. Three chief problem areas along the South Africa leg of the export cold chain were identified. These include the cold store during loading of the container, at approximately the gate-in time of the container at the Cape Town Container Terminal and just prior to the vessel's Actual Time of Departure (ATD).The research identified important insights in detecting weak links along the export cold chains of table grapes. The results of the research validated this by determining the number of temperature breaks, their frequency and durations recorded within certain stages of the export cold chain. In addition, the research established the detrimental effects that temperature breaks have on the quality of table grapes. Company X can use the findings of the research to amend current practices to help prevent temperature breaks from occurring in future. Furthermore, with input from Company X, the efficiency of the entire export cold chain could be improved. This improvement in efficiency could result in financial incentives including cost savings, environmental savings in the form of cooling efficiencies and a reduction in food loss as well as possibly a higher quality product with a longer shelf life.

Identifying temperature breaks in the export cold chain of navel oranges: A Western Cape case

Research shows that significant volumes of food produced globally is wasted due to supply chain failures from farm to retail. In addition, the category of fruits, vegetables, roots and tubers has the highest loss and wastage rate of any food per annum. Temperature has the greatest influence on fresh-produce deterioration rates and potential market life. Temperature breaks that occur in the cold chain result in financial losses due to quality loss issues and deviation from export protocols as well as a loss in market opportunity. This article presents a case study on navel oranges exported from Citrusdal in the Western Cape, South Africa to the United States of America. The United States of America is a steri-market, which means citrus fruits shipped to their ports must be exported at sub-zero temperatures for phytosanitary purposes. The procedure is known as cold sterilisation treatment. The likelihood of temperature breaks occurring in a vital industry in the economy prompted further investigation. The article aims to highlight the importance of the cold chain, from the citrus farms to the port of destination, by discussing trial shipments conducted on navel oranges. The results showed that temperature spikes and temperature breaks do occur along the navel orange export cold chain from the orchards until the navels are loaded onto reefer vessels. The results also showed that no temperature breaks are experienced once the navels are loaded on-board the reefer vessels. The research benefits the South African fruit industry by identifying the need for continuous improvement of the cold chain, which would assist in minimising temperature breaks.

An analysis of the influence of logistics activities on the export cold chain of temperature sensitive fruit through the Port of Cape Town

Background: South Africa exports a large variety of different fruit types and cultivars worldwide. Yet, there is concern in the South African fruit industry that too much fruit and money is lost each year due to breaks along the fresh fruit export cold chain.Objective: The objective of this article was to identify the influence of logistics activities on breaks along the South African fruit export cold chain. The focus is specifically on temperature sensitive fruit, exported in refrigerated containers to Europe and the United Kingdom through the Port of Cape Town. This supply chain was selected as this was the most accessible supply chain in terms of retrieving the necessary temperature data.Method: The cold chain was investigated from the cold store, through all segments, until the Port of Cape Town. Temperature data collected with temperature monitoring devices from different fruit export supply chains of grapes, plums and pome fruit (apples and pears) were analysed to identify the percentage of temperature breaks and the length of temperature breaks that occur at each segment of the cold chain.Results: The results show that a large number of breaks are experienced along South Africa’s fruit export cold chain, specifically at the interface between the cold store and the truck. In addition, the findings also show that there has been an improvement in the number of breaks experienced in the Port of Cape Town following the implementation of the NAVIS and Refcon systems.Conclusion: This article concludes by providing the fruit industry with areas that require addressing to improve operational procedures along the fruit export cold chain to help ensure that the fruit arrives at its final destination at optimal quality.

Investigating temperature breaks in the summer fruit export cold chain: A case study

There is concern in the South African fruit industry that a large amount of fruit and money is lost every season due to breaks in the fruit export cold chain. The possibility of a large percentage of losses in a significant sector of the economy warranted further investigation. This article attempted to highlight some of the possible problem areas in the cold chain, from the cold store to the port, by analysing historic temperature data from different fruit export supply chains of apples, pears and grapes. In addition, a trial shipment of apples was used to investigate temperature variation between different pallets in the same container. This research has added value to the South African fruit industry by identifying the need to improve operational procedures in the cold chain.

Overcrowding of false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) leads to the isolation of five new Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV-SA) isolates

False codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a serious pest of economic importance to the South African fruit industry. As part of sustainable efforts to control this pest, biological control options that involve the application of baculovirus-based biopesticides such as Cryptogran and Cryptex (both formulated with a South African isolate of Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus, CrleGV-SA) are popularly used by farmers. In order to safeguard the integrity of these biopesticides as well as protect against any future development of resistance in the host, we conducted a study to bioprospect for additional CrleGV isolates as alternatives to existing ones. Using overcrowding as an induction method for latent infection, we recovered five new CrleGV isolates (CrleGV-SA Ado, CrleGV-SA Mbl, CrleGV-SA Cit, CrleGV-SA MixC and CrleGV-SA Nels). Single restriction endonuclease (REN) analysis of viral genomic DNA extracted from purified occlusion bodies showed that isolates differed in their DNA profiles. Partial sequencing of granulin and egt genes from the different isolates and multiple alignments of nucleotide sequences revealed the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), some of which resulted in amino acid substitutions in the protein sequence. Based on these findings as well as comparisons with other documented CrleGV isolates, we propose two phylogenetic groups for CrleGV-SA isolates recovered in this study.

The mortality of Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) final instar larvae exposed to the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin

The recent worldwide trend in food safety is placing more pressure on the use of synthetic pesticides in human food production. The lowering of minimum allowable pesticide residue limits is effectively causing the loss of pesticides that have served humankind for decades. Research programmes by institutions are placing more focus on the use of biological control agents that are formulated as conventional pesticides (biopesticides). A good example is a commercial preparation of a granulovirus currently registered in South Africa that can be bought, stored and sprayed using conventional machines to control a phytosanitary pest such as false codling moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) (Moore et al. 2005; National Department of Agriculture 2007). Currently three Beauveria bassiana preparations are registered in South Africa against plant pests such as aphids, weevils and nematodes (National Department of Agriculture 2007). The virulence of B. bassiana is constantly being improved by selection and genetic engineering techniques (Yanhau et al. 2007). The renewed interest in biological pesticides in the South African fruit industry prompted the author to review results of unpublished research conducted in 1986.

An analysis of the South African fruit logistics infrastructure

This paper gives an overview of a study that was done on the logistics infrastructure used by the South African fruit industry. Given the increasing production and export volumes, development of new markets and the shortage of logistics infrastructure capacity during peak seasons, the SA fruit industry identified the need to investigate the optimal usage of existing infrastructure on a national level and to make recommendations with regards to the development of additional infrastructure. Some background on the SA fresh fruit industry and its export supply chain are provided. This is followed by a description of the four project phases and their deliverables. The paper is concluded with the key findings of the study.