Local foods - surrounded by friends
In my time working on local foods, there has been a steady drumbeat of antagonism from local foods advocates against the perceived damage being done to their cause from larger food businesses.
In fact, no one seems to have taken a vote on how we assign 'sides' in this discussion.
The larger food businesses and organizations I've dealt with over the years have almost uniformly supported local food initiatives. While their scale and mission often don't match up directly with specific local food causes, the people in these larger food companies almost always are available to help and grow their industry.
So we have this unnecessary split in a business that's vital to everyone in the world.
This is a profoundly dumb time and place to be behaving this way.
Larger food companies have fought through the market forces that hold back small businesses. They have the people power, the supply chains, and the momentum to help the entire food enterprise - small and large - grow. In fact most of the suppliers now serving larger food companies are small businesses.
Are larger food organizations looking for new stories they can help with? You bet. Are some larger food companies looking to buy smaller food companies. Many are. Are some small food companies in need of operational help and funding? Without a doubt.
More importantly, are there key strategic partnerships sitting on the table, waiting to be brought to life? Yes, there are many.
Our Artisan Food Products Network is one of those partnerships. We're bringing the know-how, momentum, and relationships of the larger food companies to the enthusiasm and innovation of smaller food companies.
Who wins? We all do.
Artisan Food Products Network
In fact, no one seems to have taken a vote on how we assign 'sides' in this discussion.
The larger food businesses and organizations I've dealt with over the years have almost uniformly supported local food initiatives. While their scale and mission often don't match up directly with specific local food causes, the people in these larger food companies almost always are available to help and grow their industry.
So we have this unnecessary split in a business that's vital to everyone in the world.
This is a profoundly dumb time and place to be behaving this way.
Larger food companies have fought through the market forces that hold back small businesses. They have the people power, the supply chains, and the momentum to help the entire food enterprise - small and large - grow. In fact most of the suppliers now serving larger food companies are small businesses.
Are larger food organizations looking for new stories they can help with? You bet. Are some larger food companies looking to buy smaller food companies. Many are. Are some small food companies in need of operational help and funding? Without a doubt.
More importantly, are there key strategic partnerships sitting on the table, waiting to be brought to life? Yes, there are many.
Our Artisan Food Products Network is one of those partnerships. We're bringing the know-how, momentum, and relationships of the larger food companies to the enthusiasm and innovation of smaller food companies.
Who wins? We all do.
Artisan Food Products Network
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