Brief description
Reliable food supply is a basic human need. In order to meet this, an efficient risk management for the prevention of food supply shortfalls is required by public authorities and private enterprises. The objective of this research project (SEAK, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education) is to support this by developing decision-support systems to analyze different scenarios of food supply shortfalls in Germany. One of the main outcomes is a macroscopic dynamic commodity flow model that describes the supply of food on a regional level. This can be used to determine the vulnerability of regions in food supply.
Project purpose
In order to meet the need for reliable food supply an efficient risk management for the prevention of food supply shortfalls is required by public authorities and private enterprises. The objective of this research project (SEAK) is to support this by developing decision-support systems to analyze different scenarios of food supply shortfalls in Germany.
The research focuses on three scenarios: IT failures, labor loss and heat waves. Combining scenario techniques and methods of logistics and transport modelling, models for the analysis of selected questions regarding food supply are developed: Dynamic transportation requirements of interregional material flows, vulnerabilities where supply chain structures are decentralized, optimization of store closings in case of labor loss, adaptations in distribution rounds in case of infrastructure limitations.
The models developed show potential users the consequences resulting from strong interdependency of critical infrastructures and illustrate how logistical, technical and organizational measures influence the course and outcome of supply.
Subjects
Food Logistics, Sustainability
Project partners
TU Darmstadt, KIT Karlsruhe
