The Royal Agricultural College together with The Working Knowledge Group are to host the third annual Grass Routes Business Challenge, this year supported by DHL Supply Chain. Roly Taplin, Vice President, Agri-food & LLP from DHL Supply Chain commented: “DHL is proud and delighted to support the Grass Routes Challenge in 2010. The Challenge provides a rare opportunity for undergraduates to safely engage with industry and consider how they can address real challenges facing businesses up and down the country. As part of DHL’s commitment to the agri-food sector, we are keen to give undergraduates exposure and engagement with our management teams and the opportunity to consider DHL as an employer.  We have just employed our first graduate from the Royal Agricultural College, who will be developing their career specifically within the agri-food sector and this is something we will continue.”

The competition has attracted some of the UK’s top universities to take part on Tuesday 23^rd November at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester.  The University teams will be supported and judged by experts in the agri-food supply chain.  This year’s industry experts include representatives from DHL Supply Chain, Warburtons, Sainsbury’s, PricewaterhouseCoopers, MDS, European Food and Farming Partnerships, Growing Direct, Shropshire Group and Farmers Guardian. 

On the day of the competition, the University teams will receive their food supply chain business challenge which has been generated with the support of South West Food and Drink.  The teams will have just six hours to work out a long term strategy for the business featured in their case study and will get to pitch their solution to the panel of industry experts.  The two leading teams will then go head to head to solve a new and unforeseen challenge to determine the overall winner.

The competition has been endorsed by HRH The Prince of Wales, as President of the Royal Agricultural College; “Problem-solving and entrepreneurship have never been more necessary in agriculture. Therefore, what better way to come up with new, innovative and realistic solutions than by linking businesses and our current experts with the next generation who will secure our farming future?  I wish you all a successful day.”

The Universities taking part in the 2010 Grass Routes Challenge include last year’s winner, Harper Adams University College, as well as The Royal Agricultural College, The Scottish Agricultural College, Nottingham University, Exeter University, University of Reading, Aberystwyth University and Hartpury College.

Click here to find out more about the Grass Routes Challenge.

About DHL Agri-food

DHL is the global leader in supply chain management, working in concert with customers across a range of industry sectors, around the globe.

DHL designs, manages and operates supply chains.

Within the agri-food sector, DHL orchestrates supply chain collaboration across stakeholders, from the field to the final point of processing, unlocking value and bringing benefit for all – saving time and money whilst reducing environmental impact.