CWA - CV - John Orchard

Food

CAREER SUMMARY - John Eric Orchard

Background
Current Position at CWA
Professional Experience
Previous Experience
Other Professional Experience

Date of Birth:

15 December 1950

Nationality:

British

Qualifications:

BSc Applied biology (Hons): Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, 1974
PhD: Plant physiology and biochemistry, Liverpool University, 1977

Institutes & Affiliations:

Member of Tropical Association of Agriculture

Languages:

Spanish and Portuguese

Current Position at CWA

External Consultant. Biochemistry and plant physiology. Food technology.

Professional Experience

Twenty five years experience working in the field of biochemistry and physiology of beverage, horticultural and cereal crops with recent emphasis on their post-harvest management, of which ten years spent on beverage crops in S America and Africa. Considerable experience in research project formulation, administration, management and appraisal.

Recent project experience includes:

Uganda (2003). Leader of project to review of the status of the horticultural strategy in Uganda and suggest modalities/ recommendations on how the horticultural export sector can be strengthened (DFID-funded).
Sudan and Ethiopia (2003): Team member of CFC project to assess the needs and feasibility of commercial production of tropical fruits and vegetables for diversified exports in Ethiopia and Sudan.
World-wide (2003): Team member in World Bank consultancy to review the role of grade and standards in the world trade of food commodities, with particular emphasis on the impact of regulations and trade agreements on horticulture exports (Client: World Bank/FAO).
Mauritius (2003 - 2005). Project manager of team to enable the horticulture sector to produce and export high quality products (EU-funded).
Kenya (2002 -2003). Team member of project to develop crop cultivation protocols for export horticulture crops to Europe as part of the EU-funded Pesticide Initiative Programme
UK (2001-3). Leader for private sector support project to develop, test and implement technical and managerial quality assurance systems, particularly post-harvest handling operations, to optimise supply chain management of horticultural produce in the commercial sector.
Colombia (1994-2001). Leader of post-harvest fruit and vegetable training programme aiming to enhance the capacity of trainers to analyse the post-production commercialisation system and to deliver appropriate technology to end users in the chain (DFID-funded).
Morocco (2002). Consultancy to undertake feasibility studies on the need for cold storage infrastructure in Morocco to stimulate exports: activities to evaluate the existing situation of cold storage and transportation (imports and exports).

Previous Experience

2001 – Present	Group Leader of Food Management and Marketing Group
1996 - 2001	Acting Head of Crop Utilisation Department
1994 - 1996	Natural Resources Institute - Principal plant physiologist/biochemist and manager of fruit and vegetable projects. Head of Post-harvest Horticulture Group.
1991 - 1993	Head of Food and Processing Section. In charge of two groups of staff (10 in all) dealing with processing of cereals and legumes and the impact of plant breeding on post-harvest storage and utilisation of cereals and legumes.
1988 - 1991	Overseas Development Administration - Technical Co-operation Officer (Biochemist/Plant Physiologist), Kenya Tea Research Foundation. Investigating more efficient methods of tea manufacture in Estate and Smallholder factories, and yield and physiology of the tea bush under different environment.
1986 - 1988	Senior Research Officer, Liverpool University. Contract research on physiological plant pathological problems of cacao for chocolate industry.
1980 - 1985	Overseas Development Administration - Technical Co-operation Officer (Plant Physiologist) at the Agricultural Research Institute of Ecuador undertaking research in the yield reductions of cocoa due to drought and influence of irrigation.
1978 - 1980	National Cacao Research Centre, Brazil, Experimental Officer, studying fruit growth and development.

Other Professional ExperienceManagement of section and research group activities including research projects, overseas assignments, feasibility studies, project identification, administration and management. Subject areas include cereals food processing and biochemistry of cereals and legumes in relation to resistance to storage pests and biodeterioration.

Experience of setting up and management of research projects in developing countries. Most recently the setting up of a research programme to study the physiology and biochemistry of the leaf from the bush through the manufacturing process with the main objective of improving the efficiency of smallholder factories, particularly during withering, without loss of tea quality. Laboratory studies identified new processes for collaborative trials in the industry's factories which were assessed in economic, biochemical and organoleptic terms. Extension seminars given to factory managers in Kenya and Malawi.

Postgraduate Research Supervisory Experience

A full list of PhD and MPhil supervision subjects is available on request, along with a list of John’s 50 publications.

Overseas Experience

Australia	1999	to attend the FAO Intergovernmental Group on Bananas and Tropical Fruits, Gold Coast, Australia

Bolivia	1994	assessment of Bolivian tea industry for UNIDO, looking at both agronomic and black tea manufacturing, and the development of a business plan for expansion.

Brazil	2004	to analyse the food safety and quality regulatory authorities in Brazil.

Brussels	1998	to attend the International Banana Conference on Sustainable Banana Production, and to provide a briefing paper for DFID on current developments in the banana sector with regard to ethical trading and sustainable production systems
		to participate in consultative meeting to discuss progress on the EU-funded Pesticide Initiative Programme.

Chile	1998	to establish a collaborative research programme with the post-harvest horticulture unit of the Chile National Agricultural Research Institute to develop storage and transport systems for perishable commodities.

Colombia	1994	monitoring visit as project manager, to review progress of Technical Co-operation Project on Training in Post-Harvest Technology & Marketing of Fruit and Vegetables.
	1995	mid-term review mission to assess the progress of the ODA/NRI Fruit & Vegetable Training Project
	1999	attended the II International Symposium held on “Contracts - Key to Competitivity in Fruit & Vegetables actor for competitive horticulture” organised by the Post-Harvest Fruit & Vegetable Training Project.

Dominican Rep	1999	to present a paper and participate in an international workshop on the sustainable production of organic bananas.

Ecuador	1998	to review progress of research being undertaken by an MSc student working on storage and packaging systems for the export of pineapples.

Ethiopia	1996	visit to establish survey of urban & peri-urban horticulture in Addis Ababa as project leader of ODA funded project.

Germany	1995	European Symposium on Health & Tea Biochemistry

Ghana	1994	discussions with Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and other Ghana institutes to initiate adaptive research and technology transfer.
	1995	to review progress in vegetable farming systems project in Brong Ahafo and plan activities for the coming year.
	1996	to monitor progress and discuss new project proposal for the Integrated Food Crops System Project, Brong Ahafo funded by the ODA’s Renewable Natural Resources Research Programme.
	1996	to monitor progress and plan research activities for the Integrated Food Crops System Project, Brong Ahafo funded by the ODA’s Renewable Natural Resources Research Programme.
	1998	Visit to monitor progress and plan research activities for the Integrated Food Crops System Project, Brong Ahafo funded by the DFID’s Renewable Natural Resources Research Programme.
	1998	to take part in a workshop to review progress and plan activities for the Integrated Food Crop Systems Project (1996-1999), Brong Ahafo, Ghana.
	2000	to establish a technology transfer project for low-cost rural tomato paste processing for US NGO
	2000	to assess completion of the technology transfer project for low-cost rural tomato paste processing for US NGO.

Honduras	1994	Monitoring visit to ODA-funded project on Post-Harvest Characterisation of Plantain and Cooking Banana.
	1993	monitoring visit to ODA-funded project on Post-Harvest Characterisation of Plantain and Cooking Banana.

India	1999	to present a paper and participate in the cold chain management seminar for Indian Horticultural Sector.
	2000-2002	three yearly visits to evaluate progress and refine work programme for the CPHP project "Optimisation of horticulture research and uptake in India".
	2002	to act as facilitator and resource person for a workshop to prepare research proposals for DFID research programme.

Jamaica	1998	to undertake a monitoring visit to the Jamaica Quality Improvement Project to discuss overall progress and make a preliminary assessment of the training needs to be met by the Project.
	1998	to participate in a mid-term review by DFID of the Jamaica Quality Improvement Project and to discuss overall progress and assess the activities to be completed until the end of the Project.

Jordan	2004	to evaluate the export logistics chain for horticulture produce.

Kenya	2003	to undertake surveys of pesticide use for export horticulture produce as part of the EU-funded Pesticide Initiative Programme.

Malawi	1995	visit to the Tea Research Foundation of Central Africa, Malawi to assist the Director in addressing staffing needs and training and to develop a processing work plan and identify research priorities for black tea biochemistry.

Mauritius	2003	to review progress of the horticulture quality improvement project

Nigeria	1996	visit to collaborators as project leader of ODA funded project researching constraints to horticulture in urban and peri-urban environments in Africa.

Pakistan	1995	to evaluate fruit & vegetable drying project and determine constraints and training needs in horticultural export system

Portsmouth	2002	to undertake survey of damaged kiwi fruit.

Rome	1998	World Horticulture Congress. Reviewed current status of horticulture research and policy.
	2000	Expert Meeting on Socially & Environmentally Responsible Banana Production & Trade. At Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
	2004	to participate in a workshop on underutilized crops

Sudan	2003	to assess the needs and feasibility of commercial production of tropical fruits and vegetables for diversified exports.
	2004	to develop a proposal for CFC to promote export diversification of vegetables

Uganda	2003	to review of the status of the horticultural strategy in Uganda and suggest modalities/ recommendations on how the horticultural export sector can be strengthened.

West Africa	1992	leader of a three-person-team assessing post-harvest problems of sorghum in the semi-arid regions of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Chad.

Zimbabwe	2001	two visits to evaluate progress and refine work programme for the CPHP project on indigenous vegetable promotion and marketing.