In addition to managing Giovanelli & Gerelli, Raphael Weiss is also involved in AgroSustain, a Swiss biotech start-up that develops innovative solutions to reduce food waste. "In AgroSustain, I recognised the potential to tackle two crucial areas of sustainability: Reducing food waste and CO2 emissions. Products still arrive in Europe by air freight, which leads to significant CO2 emissions. This is particularly true for products with a short shelf life.
Thanks to AgroSustain's solution, I recognised the possibility of switching from air to sea transport for various products in order to reduce CO2 emissions. In addition, applying the coating, if possible at the point of origin, would offer the opportunity to minimise product loss along the entire supply chain to the end consumer," says Weiss.
Raphael Weiss (l) and Olga Dubey at Fruit Logistica 2023.
In view of growing concerns about environmental impact and sustainability on the part of customers and consumers, ways must be found to make supply chains environmentally friendly, whether through the use of sustainable cultivation methods or by reducing emissions through the choice of suitable means and routes of transport, the fruit importer continues. "Ultimately, the customer or consumer decides within a fraction of a second at the point of sale whether to buy or not. In the process, the effort required for continuous freshness and high product quality is sometimes overlooked, while only the price is considered. All of these aforementioned challenges do not contribute to products becoming more favourable in terms of procurement."
For more information:
www.agrosustain.ch
www.giovanelli.ch