No Pop & Understanding the Supply Chain

No Pop & Understanding the Supply Chain plus Food Forethought. I'm Greg Martin with today's Northwest Report. The supply chain is an element to consider when transporting food while trying to maintain sustainability. Retired Sysco Corporation CEO Richard Schnieders explains the supply chain concept. SCHNIEDERS: It's a very simplistic overview. You've got a producer, middle man and a retailer and everyone knows that the reality doesn't look like this. So the next evolution of the supply chain we added the grower on the front end and an important add was the consumer. You know the supply chain looks like it ends with the consumer; it really needs to begin with the consumer. We need to start there and understand better what the consumer and what the customers are looking for. Your kids will have one less drink choice at school soon. Pepsi plans to remove full-calorie, sugary drinks from schools around the world in the next two years, marking the first such move by a major soft drink producer. Both Pepsi, the world's second-biggest soft drink maker, and No. 1 player Coca-Cola adopted guidelines to stop selling sugary drinks in U.S. schools in 2006. Sales of full-calorie soft drinks fell 95% in U.S. schools between fall 2004 and fall 2009, the American Beverage Association reported last week. Now with today's Food Forethought, here's Lacy Gray. They say "if you want to know how another man feels, walk a mile in his shoes". Judge Jeffrey White is one man that I would not want to swap shoes with, as his pending decision alone is responsible for the fate of ninety-five percent of the nation's sugar beet growers. A lawsuit filed in 2008 by organic sugar beet growers against sugar beet growers who use genetically modified seed continues to rage on leaving the sugar beet industry in a perpetual state of suspension. Many growers have gone ahead and planted their previously purchased GM seed, even though Judge White could rule anytime that further planting of GM seed be barred. It may sound like folly to do so but the planting and growing season waits for no man. Better to waste good seed due to a decision you have no control over than to wait and miss the planting, growing, and harvesting opportunity; which would be all for naught if a favorable court ruling is the outcome. It could be said that the finger of blame points in several different directions in regard to this battle of growers, scientists, and lawyers, and the stakes are more than high, they are astronomical. Thanks Lacy. That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.