7 minute read
Think Twice: Avocados
24 / THINK TWICE
Think twice about avocados avocados
As global catering begins to take flight again, chef and inflight caterer Marc Warde, of Niche Free From Kitchen/Libero urges hospitality buyers to think twice when menu planning, and put conscious sustainability top of mind…
Despite the pandemic, sustainability is still very much on the agenda and as hospitality buying restarts we need to ask ourselves do we really understand what it is to have a sustainable supply chain? Are we all doing our bit? In the A-Z of rethinking the products we use, let's start with avocados.
It is no longer enough to just rely on the ‘governance’ of products. Buyers must do their own homework to ensure their supply chains meet and exceed the goals they want to achieve and portray, honestly. There are many questions to ask: Where does the item come from? Where is it sourced? Who grows it? How? Are the producers looked after? How far does each item travel? It is complex and takes time to fully realise the true cost of being sustainable, but consciences have been stirred, and it is time to act now, however small the steps you take...
very much on the agenda and as hospitality Buyers must do their own homework to ensure their supply chains meet & exceed the goals they want to portray, honestly
Think economic sustainability
Profit is not a dirty word in all this. Being economically sustainable is essential otherwise businesses fail and that doesn’t help anyone. But that economically sustainable profit should not come to your business at the cost of social and environmental sustainability elsewhere.
Think environmental sustainability
The positive, negative or neutral impact of the supply chain on the natural environment is the topic we hear most on - the move from fossil fuels to electric, from plastic to wooden cutlery, compostable cardboard etc. But the reality is that sustainability is made up of many parts and we must go further.
Think social sustainability
Ask yourself: Are those in my supply chain being rewarded and treated fairly? How does the production of the commodities I order sustain the lives of those producing them? Are my buying decisions ultimately enhancing lives? Is my supply chain treating people and animals well. Question whether it is socially
sustainable or even morally acceptable for your living standards to be far better than those producing the commodities you buy?
Think seasonal sustainability
Before picking an ingredient like avocado for your menus think about the sourcing and how they will get onboard. Seasonality in onboard menus is a bit of a sham. Most menus tend to reflect the price paid or the perceived social class of the cabin. In the front it’s avocado, asparagus, caviar and the like, in the back its peas, carrots and broccoli. Most Economy-served chicken comes from intensive farming. Most likely that chicken never saw the light of day in its brief existence. None of this reflects seasonality, sustainability or the reality of what people actually want to eat, it’s mostly about affordability or cost, and pleasing the majority. Of course exceptions to exist and are noted. They show it can be done.
Rethink the retro
The avocado is a revived global superfood, a reimagining of the retro throw-back from middle-class dinner parties of the 1970s and 1980s - then frequently stuffed with prawns and topped with Marie Rose sauce. Now it is born anew in many guises, but at what cost?
Count the true cost
The flourishing global demand is causing prices to rise, and it is therefore becoming difficult for local communities to afford to purchase a food stuff that is native and culturally associated with their region. These pressures will worsen in the coming years with China increasingly looking to import avocados as a rising middle-class demands access to a Western diet.
Consider food security
Each avocado requires a purported 80-300 litres of water to grow. Given the high profit to be made, growing avocados is often prioritised above other crops. Since avocados tend to be grown for export and not for the locals, this has a negative impact on local food security. Also, the water is exported within the fruit itself is lost to the local ecosystem where the fruit was grown.
Wake up to the water issue
In the UK alone, avocado imports contain over 25m cubic metres of virtual water each year – that’s 10,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools! With global temperatures rising and water becoming scarce, this has serious impacts on local drinking water supplies.
Understand your markets
The avocado story is further complicated by a strong presence of drug cartels in the central region of Michoacán which is said to currently produce 80% of Mexican avocados. THINK TWICE / 25
Marc is part of our campaign PLANET Action Group focused on onboard sustainability. He urges: "Educate yourself on the sustainability story of the ingredients you use. Check out Rotten Docuseries on Netflix, the true stories of the food supply chain, revealing truths behind chocolate, sugar, bottled water, avocado and other family favourites."
Spreading kindness
Making money, keeping it clean and spreading kindness at the same time. Snackboxtogo is in a new partnership making this happen with pride
COVID was tough for us all in the airline industry but the best defence is offense. We at snackboxtogo have been looking for opportunities.
We are not driven solely by profit, but naturally we all need to earn something in order to invest and grow. We are driven by faith, and operate according to principles close to our heart.
When we got the chance to become master distributor for the Sunshine Nut Company we have dived right in. Alongside all the sandwiches, meals, snacks, breakfast boxes and second service products we produce, this product complements our range and fits our outlook like a glove, both in business terms and personally.
The Sunshine Nut Company has strong principles too. It does not transport cashew nuts all over the world and allow them to go stale. It harvests the nuts and immediately roasts and packs them, keeping them as fresh as possible. The cashews are available in five different flavours and packed in 30g premium airtight bags. All done by the local people of Mozambique, paid a fair wage and price. In addition, 90% of all profit is invested back into the community.
Sunshine Nut Company is also a certified B company. Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balance purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact
Gluten Free
GMO Free
Peanut Free
Source of protein
Certified in making the world’s best, better.
of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
As master distributor we make sure products and samples are in stock using our vast worldwide logistic knowledge to ship a container or a pallet worldwide. In Europe we have transport arranged in a heartbeat, of course, but also more challenging locations too.
So, if you want to join the good guys and spread kindness all over the world, contact us as soon as possible and we will go on this journey together. snackboxtogo.com •
