Geopolitical-risk expert Duncan Hains shares crisis management tools with the Australasian fresh produce industry
The International Fresh Produce Association Australia and New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ) has provided Australasian fresh produce businesses with new tools and insights to prepare and respond to ongoing geopolitical uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict.
The organisation held an industry briefing on 1 April, led by crisis and geopolitical-risk expert Duncan Hains, which discussed the ramifications of the current conflict for the fresh produce sector.
Hains, who is managing director of RCA Crisis Management and has experience across risk and crisis management, strategic planning and military operations, provided members with crisis response strategies to navigate the changing environment and methods to support a formalised approach to strategic planning.
He worked through scenarios covering disruptions to fuel supply chains, maritime logistics, and the impact on raw supplies essential for food security.
Businesses were urged to work collaboratively on topics including investment in supply chain resilience and behaviour and expectation management.
Cross-sector working groups were encouraged to explore opportunities to reduce regulation, bureaucracy and administration inefficiencies, and address potential impacts from future conflicts with higher intensity, longer duration and broader impacts.
“Time lost in a crisis cannot be recovered,” Hains said. “It is better to plan in detail and adjust as needed than to wait for certainty that may never come.”
Managing director Belinda Wilson said IFPA A-NZ would maintain close engagement with government, industry stakeholders and global partners to ensure members are informed and equipped to respond as the situation develops.
“This is a rapidly evolving situation with wide-reaching implications. Our role is to translate complex geopolitical developments into practical, actionable insights so our members can plan, prepare and respond,” she said.
“Our industry has successfully navigated Covid-19, extreme weather events and ongoing supply chain challenges. There is much that cannot be controlled, but our sector is defined by its ability to adapt.”
