Postharvest Handling: A Systems Approach

This newly revised fourth edition of Postharvest Handling brings new and updated chapters with new knowledge and applications from postharvest research. The revised edition brings back the aspects of preharvest conditions and their effects on postharvest quality and features new chapters on the increasingly important role of transportation and logistics. It emphasizes consumers and systems thinking for postharvest chains for fresh produce.
This book also explores current challenges―including oversupply, waste, food safety, lack of resources, sustainability ― and best practices for systems to thrive in spite of these challenges. This unique resource provides an overview of postharvest systems and their role in food value chains and offers essential tools to monitor and control the handling process.
Written by a team of experts in Postharvest Systems and Handling, this book continues to be the most practical and up-to-date resource for postharvest physiologists and technologists across the disciplines of agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, food science, and horticulture along with businesses handling fresh or minimally processed products.

• Features new chapters on packaging, transportation and logistics, and postharvest in the context of systems approach
• Brings aspects of pre-harvest conditions and their effects on postharvest quality
• Provides an overview of the postharvest system and its role in the food value chain, offering essential tools to monitor and control the handling process

Wojciech J. Florkowski has over 18 years of experience in research, project management, and training. His areas of specialization and expertise include agricultural economics and international business with emphasis on marketing and consumer studies, technology transfer and assessment, environmental policy analysis, and research policy. He is the author of over 200 publications on a variety of economic, marketing, consumer and policy issues, including the problems of agricultural productivity, policy, consumer willingness-to-pay and price behavior. He co-edited “Postharvest Handling: A Systems Approach” (3rd edition)

Nigel Banks worked as a Professor of Postharvest Technology at Massey University and at ZESPRI as General Manager for Innovation, where he learned branding, growers, consumers, ways to connect them and the added value of an outstanding team. Through Postharvest.Co, Nigel is exploring new ways to connect postharvesters, art, online tools and learning with an eye to the increasingly pressing needs of our future world.

Robert L Shewfelt is Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Technology, University of Georgia. He advises more than 50 students and has taught 11 different courses in the past two years ranging from Freshman Seminars in Chocolate Science and Coffee Technology to graduate-level courses in Food Research & the Scientific Method. Dr. Shewfelt was also the 2006 recipient of the Cruess Award for Excellence in Teaching of IFT. He co-edited “Postharvest Handling: A Systems Approach” (3rd edition)