For the first time that I can recall, a major retailer has changed sourcing decisions to promote sustainable agriculture in a big way. Wal-Mart is making a number of changes in this area to help small farmers use water, pesticides, and fertilizer more efficiently.
This quote from today's WSJ sums things up nicely. The author of the article is an excellent journalist!
"'Wal-Mart can potentially use their scale to really move the needle on sustainable agriculture,' said Michelle Harvey, project manager of the Environmental Defense Fund's satellite office near Wal-Mart's Arkansas headquarters. The company has 'the potential to have a significant impact on the best way to make food in a way that is the least harmful to the planet.'"
Zimmerman, Ann, 2010. Wal-mart turns its attention to food sourcing. The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 14.
With food price inflation likely to accelerate worldwide during the next several years, I am sure Wal-Mart is attempting to take a leadership role concerning this issue. About 50% of the company's revenue comes from food sales.
No comments:
Post a Comment