"Saving costs in fresh produce sector through standardization"

On December 3 and 4, 2014, Frug I Com is organizing the 1st EU Forum Fresh Info in Rotterdam, in conjunction with GS1 in Europe. On December 2, a number of international pre-program meetings will take place. This international event will be held on the SS Rotterdam cruise ship, the former flagship of the Holland America Line.

Efficient
One of the speakers at this event is Ed Treacy of PMA. He has over 25 years of senior management experience in logistical and supply chain management, and is also chairman of the International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS). He emphasizes the big importance of standardization in the fresh produce sector. "It is necessary for us to develop global standards for the fresh produce sector, to keep the cost of buying and selling products as low as possible. Fresh produce is a worldwide commodity. In order to work efficiently, it's better for sellers to be able to make a standardized package of requirements set by their customers. If every buyer had a different set of demands, the costs would be very high for sellers."

According to Ed, there's an evolution in standardization and implementation of standards in the fresh produce sector. "We have developed standards for electronic trade, to support buyers' and sellers' transactions, and data synchronization. We have also developed standards for product identification and for traceability. The next step in this respect is to develop standards for labelling fresh produce on a consumer level, pallet level and case level."

The European forum plays a crucial role when it comes to bringing the sector together, discussing matters, learning and working together on development of standards for the fresh produce sector. Subjects that are discussed at the forum will be integrated globally to standardize matters.

Register here to hear Ed Treacy and other speakers at the EU Fresh Info: www.frugicom.nl/EUforum

Freshplaza is media partner of the event