37 Perceptions of Supply Chain Management for Perishable Horticultural Crops: an Introduction Errol W. Hewett Chair ISHS Quality and Postharvest Commission Institute for Food, Nutrition and Human Health Massey University, Albany Campus Private Bag 102 904, North Shore Mail Centre Auckland, New Zealand Keywords: fruits and vegetables; supply chain; management; logistics; quality; kiwifruit; apples; apricots; consumer satisfaction. Abstract To ensure that the highest and appropriate quality of product is available for consumers, it is critically important that all parties involved in the production, packing, storage, transport, distribution and marketing of fresh fruits and vegetables do everything correctly in the chain from farm to plate. Over the past decade a major transformation has occurred in the way firms undertake business. Those that understand how the supply chain can be optimised and logistic processes can be improved have obtained enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty, lower costs and improved market share and profitability. Supply chain management [SCM] has become a key business process; adopting key principles of developing strategic alliances; optimising organisational structures; developing the human resource to embrace the corporate vision and commitment to excellence; continually improving tools available in information technology have all had a major impact on company success. Can such principles be applied to the fresh fruit and vegetable industry that tends to be characterised by large numbers of small growers in dispersed locations with disparate products of variable quality, and who exist in an environment of mistrust and dubious loyalties? Examples from New Zealand of success (ZESPRI International Ltd) and opportunity (the stone fruit industry) are used to demonstrate some of the difficulties that must be overcome to bring about necessary changes in the chain. It is suggested that those sectors that do not implement appropriate SCM systems run a real risk of failure in the foreseeable future. INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME On behalf of the President of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS), Dr Norman Looney, and the ISHS Board, I welcome you all to this the third meeting of your international, multidisciplinary group concerned with fruit and vegetable quality. As Chair of the Quality and Postharvest Commission I am delighted that you decided to bring your meeting into the ISHS fold. We are a cross commodity Commission with more than 200 members who have interests in fruit and vegetable quality from orchard to plate, from physiology to pathology and from molecular biology to modeling. It is hoped that this meeting will become a regular part of our postharvest series, joining general postharvest horticulture, Controlled Atmosphere Storage, Postharvest Unlimited (which had its first meeting in 2002), and Model-It, each of which has a meeting every 3- 4 years. Our Commission now sponsors at least one major international Postharvest Symposium each year. I would encourage you to become a Working Group within the Quality and Postharvest Commission. Working Groups are the heart of the ISHS. They are made up of keen, enthusiastic and committed individuals from a diverse range of professional backgrounds, who want to organise regular symposia on their specialised field of interest. I want to encourage the multidisciplinary activities of our Commission and build up Proc. Int. Conf. Quality in Chains Eds. Tijskens & Vollebregt Acta Hort. 604, ISHS 2003