Jul 2007
Green, safe and fair - can suppliers
offer all three?
Mike Knowles
In the past 12 months, climate change, like food safety and social responsibility before it, has emerged to become a hugely influential factor which shapes the way consumers think and informs their fresh produce buying decisions. However, once again, the conflicting commercial priorities of diverse industry stakeholders mean there is no real industry consensus on what exactly suppliers, traders and retailers must do in order to fulfill their obligations on this issue.
When food safety fears came to the fore, the industry split, broadly speaking, into two camps: those that felt better certification of pre- and post-harvest agricultural practices was the way forward; and those that saw organic production as the answer. When major concerns over the treatment of workers in supplier countries were raised, many felt corporate responsibility was the answer, while others held Fairtrade aloft as the kind of guarantee the conscientious shopper was looking for. In the end, it has been up to the consumer to decide and for the retailer, supplier and producer to follow.
But now that things like carbon emissions and food miles are also at the forefront of consumers’ minds, the emphasis placed on reducing the industry’s impact on the environment is throwing up some interesting dilemmas when considered alongside these other more established consumer concerns. Is transporting conventional, out-of-season, local strawberries from just around the corner really better than sourcing in-season, foreign, organic strawberries from overseas? Does banning airfreighted fruit and vegetables run the risk of preventing redistribution of wealth and, by doing so, jeopardise the livelihood of the producers who lose their supply deals?
Last month, I visited Whole Foods’ newly opened store in London and was amazed to find that the company’s commitment to sourcing exclusively organic products had compelled it to source several products – including blueberries, carrots and mushrooms – from abroad, despite conventional, UK-grown volumes being readily available on its doorstep.
Of course, it all comes down to knowing what the consumer wants, and this is something which retailers are very good at. They run trials, harvest the data and then let the number-crunchers work out where the real money is. Green issues may be clouding the debate, but when the sales figures come in, everything will become clear.
In the past 12 months, climate change, like food safety and social responsibility before it, has emerged to become a hugely influential factor which shapes the way consumers think and informs their fresh produce buying decisions. However, once again, the conflicting commercial priorities of diverse industry stakeholders mean there is no real industry consensus on what exactly suppliers, traders and retailers must do in order to fulfill their obligations on this issue.
When food safety fears came to the fore, the industry split, broadly speaking, into two camps: those that felt better certification of pre- and post-harvest agricultural practices was the way forward; and those that saw organic production as the answer. When major concerns over the treatment of workers in supplier countries were raised, many felt corporate responsibility was the answer, while others held Fairtrade aloft as the kind of guarantee the conscientious shopper was looking for. In the end, it has been up to the consumer to decide and for the retailer, supplier and producer to follow.
But now that things like carbon emissions and food miles are also at the forefront of consumers’ minds, the emphasis placed on reducing the industry’s impact on the environment is throwing up some interesting dilemmas when considered alongside these other more established consumer concerns. Is transporting conventional, out-of-season, local strawberries from just around the corner really better than sourcing in-season, foreign, organic strawberries from overseas? Does banning airfreighted fruit and vegetables run the risk of preventing redistribution of wealth and, by doing so, jeopardise the livelihood of the producers who lose their supply deals?
Last month, I visited Whole Foods’ newly opened store in London and was amazed to find that the company’s commitment to sourcing exclusively organic products had compelled it to source several products – including blueberries, carrots and mushrooms – from abroad, despite conventional, UK-grown volumes being readily available on its doorstep.
Of course, it all comes down to knowing what the consumer wants, and this is something which retailers are very good at. They run trials, harvest the data and then let the number-crunchers work out where the real money is. Green issues may be clouding the debate, but when the sales figures come in, everything will become clear.
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