Here's How Eataly is Transforming Farm to Table
One of the biggest changes we've seen in the retail grocery market is the desire for brands to make more ethical choices when it comes to sourcing products. This trend is being driven mainly by a new generation of shoppers which puts a high emphasis on dealing with brands that align with their own ethical viewpoints.
Organic food sales in the US broke through the $50 billion mark in 2018 to hit $52.5 billion — up 6.3 percent on the previous year. That number is only set to climb as time goes on. Around 6% of US customers also now follow a vegan diet and, while this may seem a relatively small proportion of the population, it represents a 500 percent increase from 2014.
"Reports have shown that an impressive 87 percent of U.S. millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable clothing and many prioritize eco-friendly and ethical brands when making purchase decisions," reports Digital Commerce 360. "On a global scale, a 2018 McKinsey study reported that 66 percent of global millennials are prepared to spend more on sustainable brands."
Farm to Table
This hunger for more ethical products has seeped into supply chains as well and has led to the rise of the "farm to table" concept. Farm to table covers grocery stores and restaurants and is the name given to the idea that food production, processing, distribution, and consumption should be integrated to enhance environmental, economic, social, and nutritional health.
Farm to table focusses on the whole community and seeks to develop local food systems and keep the number of links in food supply chains to an absolute minimum. Where possible, food should be sourced from local producers rather than shipped over long distances or from other countries. Not only does this result in fresher and tastier food, but also decreases the industry's environmental footprint and create self-reliant and sustainable communities.
"Consumers who have been educated by movies like An Inconvenient Truth now pore over food miles and carbon footprints," said Bloomberg's Pallavi Gogoi. "The message seems to be, if you buy organic, you care about your own body, if you buy local you care about your body and the environment. As many as 1,200 school districts around the country, from Alabama to Iowa, have linked up with local farms to serve fresh vegetables and fruit to children. Last year, Iowa's Woodbury County mandated that its food service suppliers buy from local farmers."
Eataly
As a supplier of quality Italian food products, online marketplace Eataly understands the importance of meeting the ethical demands of this new generation of savvy shoppers. To demonstrate this, it has embarked on a new campaign to put a new emphasis on farm to table sourcing.
Eataly and CNH Industrial brand, FPT Industrial, has signed a three-year partnership to transform its supply chain — 40% of the wheat and 80% of the wine grapes in the whole world are harvested thanks to machines powered by FPT Industrial, making it the ideal partner in this regard.
To celebrate the partnership, Eataly threw a special event at its flagship store in Milan, Italy, where special guests were welcomed by a grape-themed setup in a nod to the brand's month-long celebration of wine production. At the center of this display was the new futuristic concept engine developed by FPT Industrial, Cursor X. The new engine design can be powered by multiple sustainable fuel options, including natural gas, electric batteries, or hydrogen. It is easy to install and maintain and can be adapted to any vehicle and mission. The engine also possesses the latest artificial intelligence technology, enabling it to self-learn as well as to predict and program its own maintenance.
"We have always participated in the evolution of agriculture, developing state-of-the-art engines with less pollutant emissions, that can also work with alternative fuels. Furthermore, we are attentive to the entire production chain, with strong focus on saving energy, water, and materials in our plants," said Head of Communication for FPT Industrial, Carlo Moroni. "This is why, today, we are even prouder of this partnership, because our engine design is rooted in respect for the Earth and its population."
Final Thoughts
With its partnership with FPT Industrial and Cursor X, Eataly is confident that it can create a more sustainable and ethical way to bring its delicious products to market.
"The Earth is tired. Therefore, technologies that express environmental responsibility are very welcome," concluded CEO of Eataly, Francesco Farinetti. "The agricultural sector production chain is witness to virtuous changes through technologies that express respect for the environment. If we can also do our small part by telling our customers about these new frontiers, then we do it very willingly. For us, the ideal scenario is to innovate while preserving traditions."
You can hear Eataly's Vice President of Construction and Design, Chris Delusky, speak at Future Stores West 2020, taking place in June at The Sheraton Seattle.
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