The journey to sustainability is not well signposted for food and drink companies. Without standardised metrics to measure progress there is no ‘easy, quick fix’  and whilst many may flirt with the notion of improving their social and environmental credentials, economic performance alone still dominates in the minds of most logistics’ operatives.

Step Change in Agri-food Logistics Ecosystems (Project SCALE) set out three years ago to bring academics together with food and drink companies across North-West Europe in order to create new tools and frameworks to help improve supply chain sustainability and as it did so, it became clear that tools would not be enough in themselves.

Partly funded by INTERREG IVB North-West, the five Project SCALE partners (Cranfield University, DHL, Wageningen University, EFFP and Université d’Artois) have combined academic learning and significant industry expertise to excellent effect and their engagement with industry has resulted not only in new tools and frameworks but also, importantly,  in identifying key barriers and enablers for success.

At its final UK conference “How to Secure a Step Change in Agri-Food Logistics” delegates from food and drink businesses and academia across the UK listened as the Project’s conclusions were presented. The event was held at Cranfield University and run in partnership with The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT)  and Food Storage & Drinks Federation (FSDF). 

Chaired by Denyse Julien, Senior Lecturer at Cranfield University, the day began with Siôn Roberts, Senior Partner, EFFP outlining the key barriers to change and in particular, stressing the need for support from the top, at the Board level:

“Whilst the tools we have created help, they alone do not guarantee success.  In practice, the impetus must begin at board level.  Business leaders must prioritise the triple bottom line and foster a culture which allows time and space in the hearts and minds of their employees to achieve a meaningful step change”.
A key output from the project was ‘The SCALE Journey’.  This was developed by the Project specifically to help companies recognise and overcome many common barriers to sustainability improvement, featuring different tools to assist along the way. Divided into 3 key stages (Shape, Build and Mobilise), some of these tools were presented in breakout sessions allowing delegates to engage with the Journey more directly including:

• the Canvas (for prioritising potential areas of supply chain improvement), 
• the Collaboration for Sustainability framework (mobilising partnerships both internally and externally) and 
• the Collaboration Planning Tool (comparing and optimising multiple supply chain scenarios).

The afternoon session included a keynote speech from Catherine Weetman from CILT as well as a lively panel discussion which included the role legislation has to play in driving change.