Accomplishments, WFLO Experience. In June, Xx. X. Brinkley Xxxxxx, membership director of the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), conducted a training program in each country to accomplish the following objectives: • Demonstrate the resources and benefits available to a unified association representing the entire cold chain in Ukraine and Moldova; • Identify groups of individuals as key people for each specific region; and finally • Encourage those key people to formulate a plan of action for building an effective association. The training attempted to point out the linkage among the food industry components and that commercial gain could be achieved through proper product handling and storage. In Ukraine, Xx. Xxxxxx conducted this seminar as part of the conference, “Development of Associations of Refrigeration Producers, Seafood Harvesters and Processors”, conducted in Odessa. There, it was observed that the conference participants were unaware of their colleagues in other sectors and that many were meeting each other for the first time. There seemed to be limited communication between the technology providers and “possible” technology users, (producers, processors and warehousers of products) and limited interaction with regards to marketing efforts. Participants displayed interest in better understanding the capacity of an industry working together to raise the level of the overall industry for all to benefit. It was pointed out that there was a wealth of knowledge, resources and talent within the existing associations and related cold and food chain industry and that it was WFLO’s goal to assist in the coordination of these associations into a unified body and to share its decades of research and training. As meetings among the associations progressed, a bonding developed when several of the key participants confirmed that they would work together to form one strong association. Further, the fish industry associations in the Odessa region indicated they would work among themselves and then coordinate with those in the meat industry in the Kyiv region. A similar experience occurred in a conference held for association executives and industry leaders in Chişinău. A very tangible benefit of the conferences was the conferences themselves, providing a forum and platform for the participants to become aware of one another and their common interests. As an outcome of a round table discussion with top officials of Ukrmiasso, Ukrptakhoprom, the Ukrainian Food Union and the Association of ...
Accomplishments, WFLO Experience. Two Ukrainian and two Moldavian stakeholders had the opportunity to attend the WFLO institute located at the University of Oklahoma. The WFLO Institute was established in 1965 to fill the public refrigerated warehousing industry’s need for a specialized training curriculum. The Institute is a three-year program, with 3½ days of programming each year devoted to helping warehouse and food distribution professionals better understand the many facets of the refrigerated warehouse industry. Nearly forty classes are offered at the Institute, divided among seven tracks—Facilities Management, Finance and Productivity, Food Science/Food Safety, Human Resources, Logistics Management, Risk Management, and Warehouse Technology. More than 200 people, in positions ranging from supervisory level to top management, participate in the Institute every year. A plaque is awarded to those who complete the three-year course (the PFID-sponsored participants underwent the first year program). Participants also take home a textbook, Successful Refrigerated Warehousing, which serves as a reference guide to all they have learned. The value of this three-and-one-half day program is recognized throughout the food industry. In addition to operations personnel, people who specialize in administration, engineering, human resources, accounting, and other areas attend the Institute to become more valuable employees by understanding all aspects of the PRW business. After the visit to the WFLO Institute, candidates from Ukraine and Moldova had the opportunity to visit with the management of Arkansas Refrigerated Services, Inc. to discuss various industry practices and standards. During the visit the team toured the cold storage facility and had a “hands on” opportunity to see various management practices. XXXX’s contribution to the Project are described in greater detail in Annex C, the Combined Technical Assistance Narrative
