Sourcing products from around the world is incredibly easy these days due the connections that today’s technology provides.
We can access a plethora of exotic products from the far corners of the globe and make our food sound more interesting and enticing by using these goods. It’s great for keeping up with global trends and demands. It’s great for business.
This viewpoint is quite external in its makeup. Is that always the best approach to business?
What are the benefits of importing goods when comparing the benefits of sourcing locally?
While some benefits can be measured financially, we must ask ourselves if other benefits are also important.
Victoria is Australia’s major food processing state, producing one third of the processed food in Australia. Victoria has a long history as a manufacturing state. We have advanced control systems that ensure processed foods are certified and safe which has created our strong international reputation for high quality foods. As a consequence, we have a large experienced and well-trained food processing workforce.
Victoria’s food processing industry exported $1.3 billion worth of processed food in 2015-16. This represents over 40 per cent of Australia’s processed food exports.
Local sourcing is a business approach that is being increasingly favored by national and international companies for a number of reasons.
Sourcing local produce can guarantee fresher and therefore more nutritious and healthy food. And when using fresh fruit and vegetables this is true.
A major factor of the benefits to sourcing locally is the consideration of transportation costs and time which inevitably will be reduced. Transporting locally means deliveries are quicker and easier to coordinate. Logistically it is less expensive and there is more transparency.
Localizing your supply chain also helps the environment. When you reduce shipping and storage, you also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy usage for storage. The environment will be improved.
Local jobs and businesses will be generated. The social and community benefits that flow from such systems continue flowing into our economy and society. Local businesses are usually more reactive and have a higher focus on customer service.
Its easy to see why 46% of Australians believe buying locally is a major factor in strengthening our economy. The general consumer has a very strong opinion and desire to source local ingredients which should ultimately drive QSR decisions.
Our philosophy is that food connects people. Everyone loves getting together and celebrating with food.
Here at Simply Fresh Food Company we care about where we source our products and the flow on effect our business decisions make in our community. It’s true that the benefits of sourcing locally can be measured financially.
We also believe sourcing locally helps our community in ways that can’t be measured – the spirit of a community that thrives in the secure knowledge that job creation offers a chance at providing for their families and improving an individual’s future with education and skills/career. A healthy balance can be achieved by first considering the utilization of as many businesses locally as possible and then global sourcing.
Knowing where our food comes from, knowing that our food supports and enhances our local community is a reflection of our commitment to our community values.
If you believe in these core values, we’d love to hear from you.
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