Global Food Collaborative

For those up and down the supply chain of food, beverage and agri-products, you have been barraged with initiatives on sustainability.    While that was a bit foggy a few years ago, it has now become more clearly defined as to the endgame.   We want our children and children's children to have the ability to benefit from a healthy and diverse eco-system.  

A lot of the burden of that sustainabilty effort has gone to the farmer or fisherman.   The burden of proof is on them to prove they are harvesting from a sustainable source and revealing that data in some form of traceability system.     I get that.  

What I don't get is the rest of the supply chain.    Over the holiday's I visited an upscale restaurant in Houston, Texas.    They are a client of Alaska's seafood industry and I've followed them for years and regularly visit their website featuring savvy media campaigns.      Well, it was an eye opening experience because I felt I was seeing the restaurant through the eyes of a seafood harvester or processor.      While the harvesters and processors have had to meet increasingly complex systems mandated by their commercial customers and government agencies, what were the restaurants or the like doing about sustainability?  

In this particular restaurant, we were greeted and seated at a white linen covered table.     The first thing that struck me was the number of glasses and amount of silverware on the table.     That's a lot to clean -- just think of the staff, soap, electricity and water.   We moved on to a drink and appetizer and that's where my blood pressure started to increase.    Each item brought to the table had three or more new dishes and extra staff was at our table nearly every minute interrupting our meal and conversation to remove and add clean dishes.     I even had a small plate for bread that they attempted to remove for a new, clean plate for bread.    (You have got to be kidding!)     As the dishes came and went, I was calculating the amount of resources dedicated and the waste to each movement.      This continued throughout the entire meal.   

As to the food and drink.  It was good, but I would not say outstanding.   We also had iced water delivered to our table every 5 minutes.   I am a fan of the European style of asking if we want water before it is poured for every patron.  Besides, we already had a bottle of "bubble" water that we had ordered.    While the seafood came in exceptionally small portions, some of the side dishes came in sizes that I don't think could be conquered by the entire crew of one of the Deadliest Catch vessels.     (You have got to be kidding!)  

What bothered me most about my experience was that nearly every movement of the harvesters relative to sustainability are being or will soon be captured.   It is a radical change for those that have had such a long history of independence and it is a tremendous burden of cost to small and medium-sized producers.       Those harvesters who go through the hoops of demonstrating the sustainability of their product seem like they should be connected along the supply chain with those that are doing the same.

Yes, I know we (consumers) vote with our pocket book and if it bothers us, just don't go back to the restaurant.     Believe me, I won't.       However, when these same establishments have major campaigns that promote the sustainability of their products, they may want to look within their own walls.  I feared throughout my meal that this restaurant would use a good supply of the word's water supply just cleaning the dishware for my meal. 

It may sound absurd, but we were so shocked during our first meal that we went back the next night for an appetizer to see if this was standard procedure.  It was.    

I learned recently at a seminar that consumers are fast ahead of markets on issues of sustainability and nutrition.    Don't be fooled that they will be looking up and down the supply chain.    The burden has been weighing heavily on producers, but smart supply chain partners should consider being true sustainability partners.