And begin by putting in place the means of transport adapted

Asparagus in jars of the Peru, strawberries, melons, grapes and Dried apricots of Egypt, fish of South Africa, Cuba crawfish, lobsters from the Canada, pineapples and mangoes to the West and South America... Present in the rays of large surfaces permanently, these products of distant lands reflect the global expansion of agri-food supply for the signs of the large-scale distribution. They also represent changes in a few decades of our consumption habits which today lead us to eat everything in any season. "The process started twenty years ago with the first imports of products of the sea of Thailand first packaged in cans." "Supply is then spread to other countries and continents on live products frozen to finally achieve the fresh products such as exotic fruits", said Jean-Philippe Bahar, former Director logistics group Auchan, today associated with Argon Consulting, logistics consulting. The main homes of agri-food imports are Africa and the Latin America and, to a lesser extent, Asia and North America. Thus draining from across the world to Europe such flows of sensitive and often perishable products, required to implement a reliable supply chain model that guarantees freshness and quality to their points of sale. And begin by putting in place the means of transport adapted.

Maintain the value of the product

"Dry and frozen products at shelf are generally transported by marine containers refrigerated or inert atmosphere." "It takes nine days of sea from Africa and about 20 days from Latin America", said Jean-Philippe Bahar. However, for products fresh short life (six to seven days), governed by the emergency, importers are speed of air freight. To maintain the value of sale of a fresh product, it should be that happens in Ray at the right time of maturity. It is the main concern of Blue Skies society that matters every day in Europe some 40 tonnes of prepackaged organic fruit from South America and West Africa. "Should anticipate orders, be very reactive to the vagaries of the loading and unloading, it is a race against the clock daily to meet the schedule of arrival of the products in the large distribution warehouses," said Henri Glaizot, commercial Director. "The departure of the goods from the country of origin to the final of the stores by trucks, delivery must be done in 48 hours", adds Denis Vital, Director General of Nagel Air Freight France, specialist European logistics of fresh products.

Beyond the transport, the Organization of the logistic chain of agri-food import is now well oiled. It revolves around warehouses of consolidation of the goods to products products flow by bringing maritime containers or air full to limit the cost initially. "The remoteness of supply has also contributed to the standardization of information exchanges between the importer and the supplier, to control the steering of the physical flow of goods and the traceability of the products of end-to-end," said Didier Taormina, marketing director of Sage France, supply chain management software provider.

Remains that this advanced logistics can be more expensive than expected. "The production is away from consumption, more supply chain elongates, it is expensive. In this scheme, the overall cost may weigh up to 30 or 40 of the price of the product, the value in the kilo is already low. "The margin on sales in is even more reduced", said Michel Fender, associated with Newton Vaureal Consulting, strategy and logistics consulting firm. Today, under the pressure of new environmental constraints (carbon footprint) and increase in the price of energy, expected to a relocation of the basins of nearest supply for consumption. According to Laurent Thoumine, Kurt Salmon Associates, "the distribution a strategic plans in five or ten years in an attempt to relocate its supplies of fresh products closer to the areas of consumption because that transport costs are gone and that they want to win in freshness, variety and vitality of their offer."