Supply chain management - Essay Example

Supply Chain Management for Food Miles May 16, Suggestions To Become Environmentally Friendly The concept of 'food miles' refers to the distance that any food product or raw material travels from the farm or factory from where it was produced to the consumer at the retail store. Longer the distance means that more fuel and other resources are spent in bringing the food to the consumer. This principle is applied to many other products that are sourced from developing and third world developing nations in Africa, Asia and South America.

The practice is used in rating the sustainable practices of retail stores and super markets. Reports shows that food sold in UK is made to travel for 65% more than the distance travelled in the last two decades. Since imports are cheaper and more bountiful when brought in from third world countries, local nearby farms are being forced out of business (Stancu, 2006). A critical reading of Stancu (2006) shows that the supermarket can become more environmentally friendly if it developed the system of procuring as many items as possible from nearby farms.

By sourcing from nearby farms, a lot of carbon emission is avoided in the form of fuel consumption, packaging, pollution from vehicles, wastage on the road, etc. It is an accepted fact that organisation can do more to save the environment by buying local products than anything else. Items such as fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products and other such items can be procured locally. It may not be possible to procure all items from local markets. However, efforts can be taken to procure then from the same district or even from within the country.

Not only will the supermarket help to reduce the carbon emission but it will also take concrete steps to achieve corporate social responsibility. This is the best way to achieve sustainability. References Stancu, C., 2006. Food Miles – the international debate and implications for New Zealand exporters. Business & Sustainability Series, Briefing Paper 1, Landcare Research, New Zealand