Middlemen can help create sustainable supply chain

The Packer 02/25/2010

Middlemen can play a big part in promoting sustainability in the food system, said Richard Schneiders, recently retired chief executive officer of Houston-based Sysco Corporation.

Schneiders spoke at the Feb. 18 U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Outlook Forum, making a case that Sysco and other middle market operators in the supply chain can play important roles even though they are largely invisible to the consumer.

Sysco is working to integrate mid-sized fruit and vegetable producers into its delivery system, Schneiders said.

"One of the key learnings is that no farmer on his or her own produces enough products for an economically feasible pick-up," he said.

"We all have to sit down together, big and small, local and foreign, grower and distributor and customer, in a spirit of cooperation," he said.

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