Author Description

There is a strategic collaboration between RDA from South Korea and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) from the Netherlands. RDA is a similar organisation to Stichting Wageningen. RDA has a Liaison in WUR, who is Dr. Suntay Choi. He is responsible for the bilateral collaboration between RDA and Wageningen. At present 12 RDA-WUR projects are being implemented, all financed by RDA. Dr. Choi would like to set up a small project on "smart chains" applications in Dutch postharvest fresh produce chains. Together with a delegation from the RDA Export supporting centre, he visited Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (FBR) on 14 May 2018. In that visit he has asked for an inventory (desk study) of available postharvest technologies and management experience in this field in the Netherlands, and possible applications in South-Korea. A similar study has been done for smart farming in pig production and greenhouse horticulture by Wageningen Economic Research (WEcR). The Netherlands as the fresh/logistic hub in Western Europe is the leading player in the global agroproduct market. The Netherlands have developed advanced postharvest technologies to reduce postharvest losses by improving the storage and transport conditions of fresh products in the fresh produce chains. They are also engaged in establishing the so called "smart chain" to achieve better chain efficiency and coordination. Such experience has placed the Netherlands as worldwide leading in fresh produce supply chain solutions. Part of this experience can be learned by South Korea. This project elaborates the recent developments of postharvest technologies and management in Europe, especially in the Netherlands. The main message this report wants to convey to the readers is that smart/advanced technologies do not work by themselves; they need other factors specific to certain conditions to result in significant improvements. Therefore, the essence of "smart chain" is in fact optimally using the technologies and res