100-mile radius. The farm-to-table movement has been gaining momentum locally, and now it's a
consumer demand as well as a good practice. This movement supports the use of local suppliers to
limit the environmental impact caused by the long-distance transportation of food. It also supports
small family farms that use sustainable practices, such as avoiding genetically modified organisms
and pesticides or using organic fertilizers. The CEO of the supermarket chain has asked you to see
if the supermarket can apply some of the farm-to-table principles to how it selects produce
suppliers. Before moving too far in that direction, both you and the CEO agree that the inventory-
management implications need to be understood.
Keep in mind that supermarket customers want a wide range of produce all year long-even
produce that does not grow locally during parts of the year. For example, oranges cannot survive
very cold weather, but local customers expect to be able to buy them even during snowstorms in
winter.
In your initial post, address the following:
What are a few different ways that the supermarket chain could incorporate farm-to-table principles
into its operations while still meeting consumer demands?
What are the benefits and risks associated with incorporating farm-to-table principles into the
grocery chain's supply chain?
What data and communication with the local farms is necessary for the supermarket to implement
this endeavor?
What factors or metrics will determine whether you, as the COO, support applying farm-to-table
principles to the supermarket, and why?
Fig: 1