A short presentation by Mariel Alem-Fonseca (PhD Candidate, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge) on Evaluating Emerging Food Supply Chains from a Resilience and Cost Perspective: A Study on the Alternative Protein Industry followed by a Q&A and discussion with the speaker.
Coffee Break Seminars are a relaxed online learning and discussion platform for our food security community that take place every Friday during term time at 2pm, UK time.
Please mail coordinator@globalfood.cam.ac.uk to register your interest in attending.
Abstract:
Food systems resilience is critical to ensure food security and nutrition. However, developing supply chain resilience may come at a cost. Novel foods supply chains must balance cost-effectiveness and resilience to remain competitive and viable in such a disruptive environment. While reducing costs is important for companies to compete in the market and make innovative products affordable, ensuring resilience is essential for supply chains to withstand disruptions and guarantee consistent food availability. This work addresses this issue by examining the relationship between resilience and cost at each sustainability pillar (i.e., economic, environmental, societal) in alternative protein supply chains.
Speaker:
Mariel is a PhD student in Engineering and Cambridge Trust Scholar working at the Institute for Manufacturing under the supervision of Dr Mukesh Kumar. She holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master in Engineering for Sustainable Development where she researched interventions to reduce the impact of meat through a systems thinking approach. She has previously worked in the food industry and has experience in process design and optimisation, supply chain management and data analytics. Currently, her research focuses on food supply chain resilience, particularly looking at alternative proteins, which can support the transition towards a more sustainable and ethical future.