Tech Crunch has a good piece about how "last year was a bellwether year for food systems, specifically food distribution systems. In 2016, the traditional method of delivering food from farms to tables is going to shift to include new players, more technology and shocking transparency." And it concludes that "all that happened in 2015 suggests that 2016 will begin to show us how our food distribution and delivery systems may look by 2020 and beyond. The ground has been primed for new players, new technology and a new landscape for how food moves from farm to plate. Old-school food logistics are ripe for transformation."
You can read the piece by clicking here.
You can read the piece by clicking here.
- KC's View:
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Transformation won't be easy, of course ... the same consumer demands for fresh, local product may also be creating an environment in which there will be more, and more serious, food safety issues. (Chipotle is exhibit one in this debate.) But that doesn't mean the pressures will change, as consumers are likely to demand more of the food companies with which they do business, and those companies struggle to satisfy those desires while also meeting business model demands that can put stresses on their infrastructures, profitability, and expertise.
Tech Crunch doesn't suggest that this all will be easy ... though, as Michael's column today suggests, it all is likely to happen faster than anyone expects. But I think the story does a good job of framing some of the important issues. People and companies that don't pay attention will, in all likelihood, be lost.
