University of Birmingham and Haryana State Government Establish Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Crop Management
An international group of experts is working with the State Government of Haryana, India to establish a new Centre of Excellence that will create a blueprint to help Indian horticulture farmers get more of their produce to market.
Perishability, short marketable life, and the need to acquire advanced skills and best in class equipment – including cold-chain facilities – by which farmers face difficulty in ensuring the safety and quality of marketable produce, as well as reducing quantity losses throughout the supply chain.
Backed by State Government funding, the new Haryana-UK Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Crop Post-Harvest Management & Cold-Chain (CoE-SPMCC) will create a comprehensive national framework focused on sustainable PHM practices.
The Government of Haryana is pleased to collaborate with the University of Birmingham led consortium of Universities, UK in providing technical support in establishing the Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Crop Post-Harvest Management & Cold-Chain. This partnership will enhance our agricultural infrastructure, promote sustainable practices, and ensure that our farmers benefit from the latest innovations in post-harvest technology and cold-chain management, especially in crops related to Horticulture.”
State Government of Haryana
UK technical assistance is funded by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), UK. University of Birmingham experts are leading a consortium of UK and international universities – including Heriot-Watt University, Cranfield University and London South Bank University -, and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help develop CoE-SPMCC, in Panchkula, Haryana.
The Centre will develop a comprehensive national framework focused on sustainable cold-chain and PHM practices, guidelines, and protocols. The framework will focus on curbing horticultural produce wastage and assessing present and future needs for a sustainable cold-chain by:
Delivering innovative research and cold-chain design, including energy transition;
Developing successful business models;
Incubating tech start-ups and supporting the development of cold-chain;
Demonstrating the best available technology; and
Raising awareness of sustainable PHM among Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).
Dr Arjun Singh Saini, Head of Department (Horticulture) explained that the State Government has earmarked around 15 acres of land adjoining the Directorate of Horticulture, Haryana in Sector-21, Panchkula, to build CoE-SPMCC, which will include a training centre, technology demonstration area, testing centre, and technology incubation centre.
Food loss is significant to the state and directly impacts farmers, as horticultural produce serves as their primary source of income – every year some 156 million USD (Rs. 13 billion) income is lost to both farmers and the state. Sustainable cold-chains are, therefore, critical infrastructure, vital for a well-functioning society and economy. They underpin access to safe and nutritious food and health, as well as the ability to drive economic growth, and deliver socioeconomic development.
Consortium leader Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy – University of Birmingham,
Consortium leader Professor Toby Peters, Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham, commented: “Food loss is significant to the state and directly impacts farmers, as horticultural produce serves as their primary source of income – every year some 156 million USD (Rs. 13 billion) income is lost to both farmers and the state.
“Sustainable cold-chains are, therefore, critical infrastructure, vital for a well-functioning society and economy. They underpin access to safe and nutritious food and health, as well as the ability to drive economic growth, and deliver socioeconomic development.
“Our consortium brings together a wealth of expertise from various university partners, each contributing a unique set of skills and knowledge. Together we form a robust and interdisciplinary team poised to address the challenges ahead and lead the way in developing sustainable PHM and cold-chain solutions.”
The consortium will lead the design and establishment of the CoE-SPMCC. The University of Birmingham will lead on resilient systems of system approaches to energy and cooling, energy transitions & energy storage, and understanding the social impacts.
Heriot-Watt University specialise in virtual modelling, digital twin development, and roadmap creation. Cranfield University focuses on food cold-chain training, delivery programmes, and PHM. The University of Birmingham and Wageningen University’s, Netherlands, expertise in business models will contribute valuable insights. Belgium’s Vrije University will provide climate modelling expertise, whilst London South Bank University adds support on refrigeration and cold-chain.
The project builds on the work in Africa which led to the opening of the Africa Centre for Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) in March 2024 and a first outreach SPOKE in Kenya this summer Further SPOKEs are being in developed in Senegal and Lesotho. The Centre, in Kigali, will host the largest single demonstration of cold-chain equipment of all scales and applications, complemented by state-of-the-art testing, training facilities and inclusive courses. The programme is underpinned by a new Knowledge Platform – Clean Cooling Network (cleancooling.org).
By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and innovative solutions underpinned by training and capacity building, ACES is empowering farmers, healthcare workers, and stakeholders across various sectors to mitigate losses, enhance resilience, and promote sustainable development.
The University of Birmingham plays a leading role in ACES, which is developed with the Governments of UK and Rwanda, UN Environment Programme and University of Rwanda.