As part of the Ontario Produce Marketing Association’s (OPMA) food waste reduction initiative, Value Chain Management International (VCMI) has been working with four businesses across the value chain (one retailer, one distributor and two producer/packers) to identify ways to reduce waste, improve overall efficiencies and increase sales – resulting in increased margins and profitability.
The fourth and final case study (one for each business) has now been completed.
The fourth case study describes how VCMI worked with a main line distributor to augment their ongoing successful food waste reduction efforts. The project is enabling the distributor to work closely with staff, customers and vendors to establish daily management systems to effectively implement continual improvement plans in produce, other food categories, and potentially their non-food business.
A key finding from the study: utilizing straightforward process improvement tools potentially results in $1.2 million plus in savings, while simultaneously increasing sales.
The four case studies produced for the food waste project all identified measurable opportunities for improvement that exist in the absence of shrink. The individual links to each case study are listed below:
- EarthFresh Foods – producer/packer
- Apple Factory – Retailer
- Gwillimdale Farms – producer/packer
- Main Line Distributor
For more information:
Virginia Zimm
The Ontario Produce Marketing Association
Tel: +1 416 519 9390