The recent WUWM conference hosted by Rungis International Market in Paris, France, was certainly an interesting and dynamic event. The theme, What Future for Wholesale Markets?, saw more than 200 food and market professionals from 28 countries gather together for a two-day review of the current situation of the global wholesale market sector, and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the market’s move from Les Halles to Rungis.

It was evident that wholesale market management bodies feel a number of essential values must exist within the global food distribution chain to ensure its effectiveness. Those values include, among other things, the preference for fresh products over processed; ensuring a quality:price ratio that serves consumers; the promotion of fruit and vegetables as keys to securing a healthy and balanced diet; the need to support and encourage urban retail trade and the need to ensure environment-friendly logistics.

It was noted that in this year of continuing global economic challenges, wholesale markets have not only demonstrated their resilience, but also their immense benefit in support of economies and communities everywhere. It was also determined that food supply and distribution cannot function effectively when left solely in the hands of market forces. The significant intervention of public authorities is necessary to secure food safety, environmental protection and prevent anti-competitive practices - these being areas in which markets provide policy/economic support that might otherwise be inhibited.

Retail markets have been integrated into WUWM’s membership and activities since 2006. During this WUWM conference, the vital role of these markets in supporting the goals of cities and local governments was repeatedly reconfirmed. Retail markets are the obvious key to ensuring quality, fresh, healthy food is made available and accessible to the public but, unfortunately, such markets do not always benefit from the most suitable locations or get sufficient recognition in terms of urban planning gain. Delegates used this occasion to promote a WUWM declaration strongly urging local governments everywhere to ensure their retail markets receive the support necessary to continue contributing long-term sustainable solutions to the many social and economic problems existing in our communities today.

WUWM members also took the opportunity to urge governments to revise farming, food and agricultural policies, ensuring these facilitate a genuinely competitive food industry that offers competition, choice and protection to all consumers. Such a situation is entirely possible to achieve where legislation is applied that does not prevent or limit diversity, if accessibility to alternative retail food outlets is secured and where quality fresh produce is made abundantly available to all.