Towards contextualising lean wastes for agriculture: case study of grain handling in silo operations

Abstract

Agriculture plays a crucial role in South Africa's economy and food security, with grain storage serving as a critical link in the crop production supply chain. Grain silo operations, however, face recurring inefficiencies that hinder productivity and profitability. While lean management has been successfully applied across various industries, its relevance to agriculture-and specifically grain handling-remains underexplored. This study investigates how the eight forms of lean waste can be identified and contextualised within grain storage operations. Using an adapted A3 problem-solving approach, qualitative data from a South African grain silo organisation were analysed to categorise inefficiencies and translate them into agricultural terms. The findings confirm that lean wastes apply to agriculture, although not all categories (e.g., overproduction) are directly relevant. By contextualising lean waste for silo operations, the study provides a foundation for continuous improvement in agricultural supply chains and contributes to the growing field of lean agriculture.