Total Produce chairman Denis Punter was recently quoted in FPJ as saying: “Wholesale markets, perhaps more than anywhere, are all about their people.” I couldn’t agree more.

Remove the market operator/market trader personality and achievement from the food industry, and the business community, along with the consumer, would be all the poorer for it. It seems to me it’s mostly through the dedication, hard work and personal involvement of such players within the markets sector that the fresh food distribution chain is kept relatively open to more than just the elite few and has such diversity. Collectively, perhaps, they are also a large part of the glue that supports choice in communities and allows small- and medium-sized enterprises to compete - a positive force counteracting some of the challenges to ensuring a globally sustainable future, as well as providing good-quality fresh food access to the many living within less well-off parts of society.

It is sometimes said that wholesale markets need to “move more with the times” or “better define” themselves. We’ve successfully done that for hundreds of years, but obviously we need to continue to do so. During the last years, we have seen a constant flow of exciting initiatives and projects being undertaken by WUWM European member markets. Few could look at the many large-scale investments and developments undertaken in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and Italy and not consider those wholesale markets as progressive, modern, competitive, safe and efficient businesses, recognised as such by their respective local and central governments.

There are, however, many market operators still vigorously pursuing the process of bringing their vision of the future wholesale market (in its entirety) into reality. It’s one thing to develop a long-term vision with a viable business strategy, and another to encounter local or national governments willing or able to provide the money to support that path. While the environmental, social and economic benefits of markets (and their contribution to competition and choice) are increasingly acknowledged by decision-makers in all levels of government and business, the financial means with which to modernise, build or relocate city-owned markets is not always easily identifiable.

In the UK, for instance, there are many wholesale markets currently working towards development of their facilities and the provision of a more modern business model with which to support their city’s long-term vision of growth, as well as social and economic development - Liverpool, Manchester, London, Bradford, Glasgow to name just a few.

The dynamic synergy of market operators, market traders and producers working together in these markets successfully supports the assertion that “wholesale markets are all about people”. Nevertheless, each is faced with hurdles in finding the financial support to see their future market vision realised. Pondering this challenge I recall an axiom my grandmother used to quote: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”. Though she used to add the words: “But those things worth doing well -- cost!”