As a rule of thumb we believe the areas of waste identified above
comprise around 20% of costs within the fresh produce industry.
Using data from the National Horticulture Forum report, UK
production is valued at about £2bn. A broad brush estimate of the
potential cost reduction for the industry is around £400m.
Clearly this is a generalisation. All fresh produce chains are different
and there is no such thing as a waste free chain. However, we
believe that with the sustained application of lean thinking along the
lines of our pilots that significant savings are achievable and that
these are of a magnitude to have a major impact on the industrys
profitability and international competitiveness.