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Andrew Fearne – Food and Wine Value Chains:  Prosperity Through Collaboration
About Andrew Fearne
Andrew Fearne – Program in Adelaide

Andrew Fearne – Food and Wine Value Chains:  Prosperity Through Collaboration

Professor Andrew Fearne is a world-recognised leader in value chain management and consumer behaviour.

Andrew will live and work in South Australia as an Adelaide Thinker in Residence in several stages in 2008:

25 February to 20 March
14 April to 2 May
8 September to 26 September
20 October to 7th November

It is anticipated that during his time in Adelaide, Andrew will:

  • Raise awareness and increase understanding among the South Australian community of the challenges and opportunities presented by global value chains to the sustainable competitive advantage of South Australia’s Agri-food and wine sectors.
  • Develop capability to enable changed practice amongst stakeholders and consumers within industry, government, and education in developing competitive value-chains in the agri-food and wine sectors.
  • Identify with industry, specific value-chain enhancement opportunities and an approach to strengthening those chains.
  • Develop a model with the Barossa & Light Region to enhance and strengthen specific value-chain opportunities.
  • Provide advice to South Australia’s education sectors regarding their strategic direction:
    • to enhance and leverage the sector’s existing global reputation in the agri-food and wine industries
    • to enhance value chain and supply chain in associated industries
    • for future curriculum, training and education-industry links.
  • Explore and make recommendations to promote active community participation in value chain thinking, improve healthy eating, and encourage sustainable consumption across the South Australian population, through the development of stronger linkages between health, environment, agriculture, education, retail and consumers.
  • Provide advice to government and industry on policies that promulgate value-chain development.

About Andrew Fearne

Professor Andrew Fearne is Director of the Centre for Supply Chain Research at Kent Business School, University of Kent.  He is an expert on food marketing, consumer behaviour and supply chain management.  An economist by training, Andrew moved into the area of supply chain management because of an interest in an area of growing importance not usually covered by economists. 

During the past twenty years he has been researching consumer requirements and expectations in a wide range of food supply chains in the United Kingdom, shedding light for farmers, processors and retailers on the changes needed to lift agribusiness performance in supply chains and the consumer food experiences in supermarkets into better value chains for stakeholders and better and safer eating experiences for consumers. He has also worked in France, Ireland, Slovenia, Germany, North America, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Professor Fearne’s integrated chain analysis research system and style of communication has been particularly effective during a period in the UK food and beverage sector when assaults to public confidence in food products from livestock disease outbreaks demanded system change. Growing up on a family farm and his early career role as an economist with the national farmers organisation in the UK were formative and influential stepping stones to an academic and consulting career which has been consistently transforming underperforming supply chains into value chains by focusing on consumer preferences.

His research and facilitation activities have involved the strategic analysis of consumer behaviour and the co-ordination of agri-food supply chains with clients and research partners from around the world.  These have included:

  • major supermarket chains (Marks & Spencers, JS Sainsbury, Tescos, ASDA) 
  • a host of livestock, dairy, poultry, grains, fruit and vegetable companies and industry associations in the food production and processing sectors
  • a diverse range of non-government organisations (incl UK Soil Association, Countryside Agency, Kent Farmers Market, East of England Development Agency).

Professor Fearne is the founding editor of the International Journal of Supply Chain Management, author of over 100 articles, and editor or contributor to over a dozen books on industry values chains and related matters.

Program in Adelaide

Professor Andrew Fearne’s residency in South Australia will promote value chain thinking and behaviour in the wider community, and provide direct benefit to partner organisations individually and collectively, with appreciation of issues including environmental sustainability, economic viability, population health and social inclusivity.

Partners in Andrew’s residency are:

Sponsors:

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