What do food safety and hygiene control measures look like for the supply chain industry post Covid-19?

Q&A with Jerome Goulet: regional sales and export manager at Geprocor

What is your role at GEPROCOR ?

I’m regional sales and export manager of MENA-Mauritania-Comores-Seychelles-Madagascar, working for the export division of Agro-mousquetaires. My role is to sell and export more than 25,000 items of food and non-food products by road, air and sea.

The distribution network includes hypermarkets, supermarkets, wholesalers, catering etc.

What does the new normal look like for the food & beverage supply chain industry post Covid-19 ?

This pandemic has dramatically impacted consumer behaviour and demand has shifted towards immunity-boosting, fresh and functional food. Sales volume for fresh food is up by 5.1% year-on-year, while fresh food sales at retail grocery stores are up by 34% year on year.

This requires a more agile supply chain, with the capability to adapt quickly to market needs while keeping an eye on cost effectiveness. Inland freight by road and railway are the most expanding routes for the supply chain, especially because airfreight has become very costly and sea freight for fresh food is extremely risky and sometimes impossible.

This has also heralded a warning for governments around the world about local production. The lockdown has shown how some countries have been dependent on imports for years, neglecting their own local production and sourcing.

More than ever, the changing consumer preferences, increasing volatility in supply and new trading rules have pushed companies to use the momentum of the outbreak as an opportunity to re-design their supply chain with future resilience in mind.

How do you define Sustainable Supply Chain?

Sustainable supply chain management involves integrating environmentally and financially viable practices into the complete supply chain lifecycle, from product design and development, to material selection, (including raw material extraction or agricultural production), manufacturing, packaging and transportation. A green supply chain can reduce the environmental pollution and production costs. It can also spur economic growth and create competitive advantage in terms of greater customer satisfaction, positive image and reputation, providing better opportunities to export products in pro-environmental countries.

How does food safety and hygiene control measures look like for the supply chain industry post covid-19 ?

Within Europe no extra measures or major changes have appeared in terms of food safety and hygiene control measures for the supply chain industry post covid-19. However we have had a few territories (Madagascar, Seychelles, Comores …) where vessels were left at sea for quarantine, between 15 to 40 days depending on the government and the port of departure.