This case provides a real‐life example of supply chain vulnerability and sheds light on the importance of port efficiencies and demonstrated that, despite the complexity of the global grain supply chain, relations between supply chain actors are at the heart of successfully managing such chains. The fact remains that the trade of agricultural commodities fluctuates as a consequence of numerous factors, such as global seasonal conditions, erratic currency markets and changes to government import/export regulations.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has a highly regulated method of buying wheat for the nation’s milling industry, which facilitates competition between suppliers. So while Figure 1 suggests that the Japanese market is reasonably stable, it does not reflect the ill‐will Japanese grain buyers had for Western Australia, nor does it show the colossal effort the Western Australia grain industry had to put into re‐establishing the trust of one of its key customers.
QUESTIONS
Using the actors illustrated in Figure 2, what factors led to the breakdown of relations between members of the noodle wheat supply chain?
What SCM processes could have been put in place to ensure the second contamination of carmoisine did not occur?
Discuss the importance of collaboration in the development and maintenance of an international agri‐food market.
Provide justification for the idea that the Western Australian export grain supply chain, as described in this case study, had robust qualities.
