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markets
The uplift in cattle prices of recent weeks slowed in week ended 11th May read more
With more new season lambs entering the market, the dynamics of the trade have started to change read more
Provisional data for April milk deliveries of approximately 1,111m litres are 93m litres (7.7%) down on the previous year read more
In April, the DAPP averaged 160.9p/kg, almost 4p up on the month. At the same time, the average retail price came down by a small amount read more
The GB weekly average price fell by £7.68/t to £295.35/t and the free-buy average fell by £22.02/t to £368.39/t. read more
The first USDA estimates for world production in 2013-14 forecast record maize and wheat production, citing larger planted areas and a rebound in yields from the US (maize) and the Former Soviet Union (wheat) read more
The USDA has released its first soyabean supply and demand estimates for the new season read more
UK malting barley export prices are at €245/t FOB (spring, South Coast) w/e 11th April. read more
The latest National Statistics produced by Defra on the activity of UK hatcheries and poultry slaughterhouses. read more
USDA’s latest quarterly stocks report, released on 28th September, estimated US maize stocks (at 1st September) at 25.1m t, down 12% on the same point in 2011 and the lowest since 2004. read more

 
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A FABULOUS OPPORTUNITY FOR BRITISH FARMERS
Michelle Hanson

Iona Walton meets Sodexco’s commercial director Michelle Hanson to discuss the company’s continued desire to create sustainable supply chains

The food service industry has grown at a rapid rate in the UK, increasing 75% in the past eight years, leaving many farmers wondering how they can get in on the action.
A series of mergers over the past decade has left French-owned Sodexo as one of the larger food services and facilities management companies in the world. Employing 375,000 people across 80 countries, including 43,000 in the UK and Ireland, the company’s revenue reached €13.6bn in 2008, approximately 11% of which was generated on our shores.
Integral to Sodexo’s current and future success in the UK is its desire to create
sustainable supply chains. Michelle Hanson, commercial director of Sodexo UK and Ireland, believes that the emphasis on health and nutrition, traceability and sustainable sourcing is here to stay. It’s the age of moral behaviour: the scrutiny of how companies and individuals impact on the environment will only get tougher, she says.
“We serve hundreds of thousands of meals in the UK every day, which represents a fabulous opportunity for British farmers,” she points out. “Most food items we purchase are used in recipes by our chefs to prepare menus for our clients. 		 It’s only retail packaged goods that we buy for direct onwards sale to customers, so the biggest difference between us and a retailer is that we buy products for transformation, not for direct sale.”
Sodexo has key partners in the various produce sectors, who deal with producers and growers on its behalf.
“Having a network in place means logistics are as efficient as possible in terms of food miles, minimising the number of deliveries and packaging and time spent on paperwork when each order arrives,” says Ms Hanson.
Sodexo tailors its food service products and services to the customer in question, whether in schools, hospitals, prisons, offices, factories, oil rigs or special events such as Royal Ascot.
Last summer the company was awarded Red Tractor status at 450 sites across the UK.
“Our customers are becoming more discerning and having a sustainable supply chain is important to them,” explains Ms Hanson.
“We selected the Red Tractor as a means of providing us with the assurance that high standards are maintained and because it gives us a positive message to communicate.”		 UK farmers are producing excellent quality food that meets the demand of Sodexo’s supply chain, but there is room for improvement.
“Farmers and the farming industry as a whole need to relay how their priorities are shifting,” says Ms Hanson. “We know what they’re doing now, but don’t hear what they are planning for the future.
“Producers and growers need to communicate first that their product is available and second that it is grown or reared to the high standards that we expect. The best way of doing this is by accessing our supply chain network either by direct contact with us or via our supply chain partners. We’re keen to hear from larger organisations that we can forge close and mutually beneficial relationships with. Networks are key and are a conduit for communication.
“It’s important in terms of ethics and
consumer demand that we support British farmers as much as possible.”
 

 



For more information visit www.uk.sodexo.com
 

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