Friday, December 10, 2010

Manufacturing more interesting than retailing for sustainability?

Last week we had the congress of the Initiative for Sustainable Trade in Amsterdam. It was chaired by Jeroen Smit, the writer of books on Ahold and ABN AMRO. Ben Knapen, the new secretary of state for development corporation opened with a welcome € 100 million over 5 years to support the work of the Initiative (http://www.dutchsustainabletrade.com/en/home).

What intrigued me were the speeches of AKZO, DSM and Nutreco. And comparing them to my experience in retail. It sort of looks like manufacturers, like the three I mentioned above and also to some extent the Unilevers of this world, have a far bigger impact in terms of sustainable trade than retailers. Especially those manufacturers that are producing basic ingredients can make a world of difference, because they actually rule the waves of whatever comes after that first step. Maybe the same is true for major traders like Cargill and Olam. And this is valid for social and environmental issues alike.

It also dawns on me that the supply chain is going to be the focal point of sustainability for the years to come. That's where it is going to happen, so is that where you want to be?

Keep you posted!