This workshop analyses what strategies corporate enterprise and small and medium sized firms may pursue to address the challenges brought forward in the plenary sessions. The basic challenge food companies face is how to meet the specific wants of individual consumers as much as possible and how to control production and distribution costs – including a solid bot-tom line - at the same time. Food companies may be expected to communicate more with con-sumers in the future. Consumers will be involved in product development processes and order part of their - home delivered - food purchases through internet and related mechanisms. Sup-ply chain costs may be controlled by introducing lean production techniques involving pro-duction on demand, supply chain co-ordination and application of various ICT techniques. The workshop analyses more in detail how supply chains are co-ordinated? What is the role of contracts, vertical integration, et cetera? The reorganization of the supply chain will imply major challenges for food logistics and format and store design.

Speakers:     
Kees Jacobs         Gapgemini, Netherlands   
Janice Vansickle   Ministry of Agriculture, Canada