SEAK: Preventing Shortfalls in Food Logistics

Hanno Friedrich

In order to meet the need for reliable food supply an efficient risk management for the prevention of food supply shortfalls is required by public authorities and private enterprises. The objective of this research project (SEAK) is to support this by developing decision-support systems to analyze different scenarios of food supply shortfalls in Germany.
The research focuses on three scenarios: IT failures, labor loss and heat waves. Combining scenario techniques and methods of logistics and transport modelling, models for the analysis of selected questions regarding food supply are developed: Dynamic transportation requirements of interregional material flows, vulnerabilities where supply chain structures are decentralized, optimization of store closings in case of labor loss, adaptations in distribution rounds in case of infrastructure limitations.
The models developed show potential users the consequences resulting from strong interdependency of critical infrastructures and illustrate how logistical, technical and organizational measures influence the course and outcome of supply.