March 2023

Workshop in Istanbul



		
 
	
 

	

		

			
			

		

	



	

		

			
During our 4-day ImPUlSe workshop hosted by Koç University in Istanbul, Türkiye, we have set up circular values cases and established a common ground on the ADSS (Analytical Decision Support System) platform, which will be able to assess supply chain operations and sustainability along orange by-products supply chains in the Mediterranean.


To reach these results, several topics needed to be taken into consideration and elaborated in detail:


 


    

  • Citrus production conditions, requirements, challenges, and opportunities for innovation, particularly in the Mediterranean. This included topics such as climatic and soil conditions, water availability, and the effect of climate change on the development in North Africa.
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  • Technological circularity assessment and technologies supporting innovation in citrus supply chains. This comprises warranty for monitoring, local technical support, technology rotation, and spare parts availability.
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  • Market analysis from Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia, focusing on barriers for by-products commercialization, industrial use, and consumption as well as price sensitivity and environmental awareness of consumers.
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  • Data collection from the pilot cases, including farming data such as planting details, soil, temperature, irrigation technology and scheduling, fertilization, pesticide use and management, quality parameters for harvesting, yield quantity and quality, postharvest handling systems from farm to consumer, and field production assessment using GIS.
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  • Conceptualizing new business models based on efficiency, sustainability, and circularity criteria. This included the approach, preliminary findings, and information required, as well as the feasibility of scenarios and the potential to scale business models across Europe and Mediterranean countries.
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  • Developing an operational logistics efficiency performance assessment model using a multi-objective optimization model to minimize CO2 emissions, minimize citrus losses in logistics operations, and maximize stakeholders‘ profits.
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Finally, we summarised the available information on each pilot case and conducted a workshop on future scenarios for citrus supply chains in the Mediterranean.


 


Stay tuned to see how the generated scenarios will be used to assess the pilot cases, which circular business models are promising for the region, and how all the data is used to optimise supply chain efficiency and sustainability.