What happened during the fresh produce wholesalers’ union general meeting in March reminded me of the lyrics of a Depeche Mode song entitled The Policy of Truth, which is about facing the consequences of practising what you preach.
Everything actually started off quite positively. At the beginning, president Bernard Piton unveiled quite a surprise to the attendees: it was the last general meeting to be held in France for some time. Yes, the French union has decided to tour Europe from next year, picking up on a habit practised by young Americans several decades ago.
In all seriousness, this is a perfect way for wholesalers to update their knowledge and expertise, through meetings with their European colleagues. And as wholesale markets are now starting to build up overseas partnerships (take the example of Rungis with Mercamadrid and New Covent Garden), there is no reason why traders should exclude themselves from building up relations abroad.
The ensuing work of the assembly in tackling a range of different and sensitive topics, such as pesticide level rulings, consumption trends et al, was promptly led, which certainly showed that wholesalers still have a good deal of dynamism when it comes down to the different aspects affecting their trade.
But everything seemed to go awry during a round table that gathered together all the different clientele wholesalers work with: greengrocers, retailers, importers, caterers, etc. The union asked them to talk frankly about their relations - well, it was not disappointed. The talks were actually very direct, and the wholesalers may have felt like stool pigeons.
However, beyond the “passionate” exchanges at the round table, one constant remained: clients are sad to see some of their suppliers starting to lose their expertise, especially as expertise of product ranges has traditionally been the cornerstone of the very existence of wholesalers. But everyone acknowledged that wholesale in France still has a vibrant future, as long as the tradition of expertise, allied with 21st century ethics, lie at the foundation of trade relations.
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