The U.S. is scrambling for eggs
Since December 2014, officials have been warning about the potential for widespread egg shortages across the United States. During the first half of the year, consumers really felt the trickle-down effect of the lack of supply as the warnings turned to reality. The shortage of eggs on the market is attributed to the spread of the bird flu across chicken farms. That being said, Shayle Shagam, a livestock, dairy and poultry analyst at the Department of Agriculture, says that wholesale prices may have peaked on May 29 at a price of $2.49 for a dozen of eggs. The wholesale price at the beginning of the year for a dozen eggs was $1.20. So far in June, the price has come back down to $2.16.
However it is not the end-consumers that are making the run on eggs, rather the large restaurant chains and food companies that heavily depend on the commodity in many of their recipes. The supply shortage and resulting price hike show what kind of effect a supply chain disruption can have on a market.
To read more about the egg shortage in the U.S. click here.
Creating transparency along the tuna supply chain
Marbelize, an Ecuadorean tuna supplier, has created a strategic partnership with the product-tracking firm Frequentz, in order to increase its supply chain transparency. Through this cooperation, Marbelize hopes to build consumer trust by showing it is serious about fighting against the negative impact of illegal and unregulated fishing. Furthermore, the company believes this tool can help them achieve their sustainability and social responsibility objectives.
Marbelize is recognized as one of the largest tuna suppliers in the world and will be setting precedent for the rest of the industry with this move toward transparency. The company appears to be listening to its consumers who are demanding more transparent fishing practices.
For more information on this partnership, click here.
The European Supply Chain & Logistics Summit
From June 15 to June 17, top supply chain leaders from across Europe met in Barcelona under the motto, “Reshaping the Supply Chain of the Future.” Among the top trends being discussed were supply chain sustainability, risk management, leadership and culture. Another topic that was mentioned repeatedly in both presentations and individual discussions was integrated business planning. Other buzzwords making their way around the conference halls included: talent gap, drones, 3d printing, advanced analytics and digitization.
Over the course of the three-day event, I was able to participate in 21 separate supply chain and logistics workshops, keynote addresses and case study presentations. My main takeaways as well as a few quotes to note will be covered in my upcoming article, set to be published soon. Keep an eye out for it!
If you are interested in finding out more about the summit, click here.
Have a nice weekend!
