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Like many other sectors, the agri-food industry has been engaged for several years in a gradual process of standardising its data. However, this movement is not the same everywhere and remains fragmented. Yet the industry - and consumers - stand to gain a great deal from the adoption of a common standard.
Like many other sectors, the agri-food industry has been engaged for several years in a gradual process of standardising its data. However, this movement is not the same everywhere and remains fragmented. Yet the industry - and consumers - stand to gain a great deal from the adoption of a common standard.
The benefits of a common reference framework, from producer to consumer
For most sectors, the standardisation of data meets two major challenges. Firstly, the analysis and use of reliable, structured data to improve business management. Secondly, product traceability governed by various regulations. It should be noted that the latter will be significantly strengthened with the future implementation of the European Supply Chain Act, which will require companies to exercise due diligence throughout their supply chain.
Generally speaking, having a common frame of reference - i.e. the same codes to designate the same products and the same characteristics - enables different tools to speak the same language and transmit reliable data, and has a positive impact on the whole chain.
For retailers, this is a necessary requirement for streamlining and simplifying processes and operations, starting with stock and order management: better visibility and forecasting of stocks, more accurate purchasing, improved management of sales by category, fewer order errors, etc. It also determines the ability to effectively integrate AI into certain key processes (notably order forecasting). It also determines the ability to effectively integrate AI into certain key processes (such as order forecasting).
For suppliers, the use of common codes eliminates the need for traditional manual data entry, which is a source of additional costs and delays, incorrect orders, complaints and unnecessary credit notes. The availability of standardised data also enables suppliers to optimise their stock management, highlight their products and their characteristics, streamline and automate their own supply chain, and therefore better manage purchases and sales - resulting in less waste and reduced operating costs. Finally, it's a solution for complying more effectively and easily with regulatory requirements.
For consumers, the use of a common standard by food industry professionals means more accurate and reliable information on the origin and quality of the products they consume. It also makes it easier to compare products.
Despite all these advantages, the standardisation movement is far from running smoothly. What are the obstacles?
Some sectors are resisting
In the world of food products - and fresh food in particular - data standardisation can sometimes seem complex. Although the fresh food sector is increasingly open to this requirement (as is the case with fruit and vegetables), some sectors are still reluctant to accept it. This is particularly the case with seafood, especially in France. Product names and sizing, for example, can differ from one region to another or from one auction to another. Each fishing port may have its own standards.
This situation can be explained by several factors, including the cultural attachment of certain suppliers to local names, or the feeling that standardisation could prevent them from differentiating themselves or highlighting the excellence and uniqueness of their products.
However, standardised data can be used to enhance the value of products. The fruit and vegetable sector, for example, relies on various labels (organic, PDO, Label Rouge, etc.) and logos (such as the "Fruits et Légumes de France" logo and its variations created by the Interfel interprofessional organisation). The seafood sector has also launched a number of initiatives, such as the Pavillon de France collective brand launched by France Filière Pêche, and the GDST (Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability) standards.
But these initiatives are still too specific and fragmented, in markets that are often highly segmented and have a large number of intermediaries.
How can we get the ball rolling?
Without a doubt, one of the first objectives is to make suppliers aware of the positive impact for them of adopting a common reference system. Thanks to standardised, reliable data, distributors can buy more precisely what they need, and suppliers can produce or fish more precisely what they are going to sell. When you consider that 35% of fish caught does not reach our plates and that 450 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables are wasted each year around the world, optimising production (and therefore the profitability of suppliers) and purchasing (and therefore the profitability of retailers) could have a huge impact.
In this respect, greater flexibility and tolerance on the part of certain principals could contribute to better use of resources. In the catering industry, for example, size requirements (portions) are particularly strict, resulting in wastage that could easily be avoided.
On the suppliers' side, we also need to stress the importance of showing them how data standardisation enables them to differentiate themselves. Data standardisation is not synonymous with product standardisation. On the contrary, it is a means of ensuring reliability and labelling excellence and quality.
Over and above the advantages that the widespread use of a common reference system can bring to everyone, the players in the industry must understand that it is becoming a necessity. The tightening and standardisation of regulations - particularly in terms of traceability - leaves us little choice. This will inevitably involve digitalising an industry that is still not very digitalised, and which needs to accelerate in this area.
Globalement, la clé pour favoriser l’adoption d’un référentiel commun sur les produits frais est de mettre la profession autour de la table, et que tout le monde - fournisseurs et distributeurs - y mette du sien. C’est par la collaboration et l’intelligence collective que l’agroalimentaire frais réussira à normaliser ses données, non seulement pour répondre aux exigences réglementaires mais aussi pour améliorer sa qualité et ses performances dans leur ensemble. La capacité à digitaliser et connecter la filière des produits frais est ce qui la rendra plus efficace, transparente et durable.
