Webinar | Logistics for Local Food Circuits

Challenges for producers, supply chains and local authorities presented by Suzanne FRIEDIECH - Laboratoire Ville Mobilité et Transport and Chaire Logistics city.

Observation: the time and costs involved in logistics and transport can be limiting factors in the development of short distribution channels (logistics costs can represent between 20 and 40% of producers' sales). Major challenge = reducing the carbon footprint is very complicated when there are a multitude of players / movements.

Certain levers can help territories. It's essential to create relational spaces (producers, wholesalers, transporters, consumers). We need to take stock of the existing situation to find ways of cooperating and organizing ourselves more effectively. Territorial Food Projects can help by enabling these exchanges, but they need to be carried out at the right territorial scale to be truly effective. Another key issue is land for short-distance logistics chains.

(To find out more - Link to Suzanne Friediech's dissertation: https: //www.lvmt.fr/chaires/logistics-city/)

PAT - Bringing together players to organize agricultural, agri-food and logistics production networks. Objectives: strengthen territorial resilience, food autonomy and reduce the carbon footprint associated with food. They encourage the installation of farmers, the development of short circuits and the supply of local products (particularly in canteens or collective catering: EPHAD, hospitals...).

In France, there are some 403 TAPs on very different scales (rural, metropolitan, departmental). Various players are involved: local authorities, producers, processing and SSE companies, as well as Chambers of Agriculture and trade associations.

Illustrations

Example PAT du Havre - development of a digital platform ("cartography") to identify local producers and distributors. Cf. PAT de l'Agglomération Havraise.

TestimonialPAT de la C.A. du Grand Angoulême: espace test agricole pour se former (agriculteurs > une SCIC animime le site), accompagner les changements de pratiques agricoles, animation du réseau " bien manger à la cantine " (car la CAGA n'exerce pas la compétence en direct), répertoire des acteurs proposant circuits-courts et produits locaux, etc.

Marché d'intérêt local" project: offer wholesale of local products to restaurateurs and the food trade. Bring together PAT players (inventory, opportunity study), identify local producers and user needs. It's important to coordinate because there are so many initiatives. A physical platform is not necessarily necessary, because once a producer and a restaurant owner know each other, they can organize delivery between themselves.

Charente Chamber of Agriculture Covid: willingness to move towards short circuits, but only 10% of volumes, Covid has disrupted traditional circuits (fresh produce, canteen closures, etc.) and heightened awareness. Supporting farmers: ecological issues (climate), economic issues (products, quality, fair prices), social issues (attractiveness of the agricultural sector). Platform Think local "platform: interactive map of local producers (farmers, breeders, agri-foodstuffs, etc.), local farmers' markets, points of sale, etc. Logistics: packaging, transport, delivery/sales = these are very different professions from farming.

We work with local authorities on TAPs (to stimulate), the national "Bienvenue à la Ferme" brand (guarantee, quality), and the organization of " gastro-nomades " events. We need to educate consumers, because they have to play the game.

Platform to put producers and consumers in touch, including logisticians to avoid carbon emissions. Organizing logistics is a real challenge!

F&V sector in Centre Val de Loire - Interfel

Observation: Stronger demand for local F&V from distributors and restaurateurs. But logistics and local availability are a problem for certain products (agricultural specializations not always in line with local needs).

Question: Should there be an observatory of short circuits?

Useful for identifying good initiatives. What's being done elsewhere?

What does the consumer want? How do producers make a living from their activity? What do legislators want? Does it give farmers the means?

Cédric BARIOU - Cerema

There are tools for optimizing logistics: Logicoût software, for example > calculating GHGs according to the solution adopted. Environmental labelling? Useful for informing consumers.

Egalim 2 law > increased demand for local produce > offers outlets, but at the margin for small producers as they are not always organized to produce and deliver. Problem: the demand is there, the solutions not yet.

According to a survey carried out by Cerema, there were almost a hundred short-distance sales platforms in 2020, developed by both private and public players.