Carbonation

I have often commented that the smallest carbon footprint is found through the lowest delivered cost of goods. Energy is expensive and, all things being relatively equal, the lowest cost results from the least amount of energy being used.

Tomatoes grow like weeds in California because of the sun and soil, and transportation to Detroit is costly. Greenhouses in Canada need artificial heat and light to produce a crop and transportation to Detroit is minimal. Find the lowest cost and you again have the lowest carbon footprint.

The notion of a carbon tax makes me want to scream. The free market will find the lowest cost of production of a particular good or service. The food distribution industry is at the forefront of employing alternative energy transport equipment NOT because of a mandate, but because of a value to the supply chain. We didn’t need governmental intervention to find the most cost effective way to move a perishable product thousands of miles.

The produce industry is often thought of as a bunch of reality TV stars in the making.  Conversely, it is comprised of some of the best and brightest, forward-thinking entrepreneurs in America. Everything we do is with a sense of urgency and with a purpose. Legislation doesn’t do that – smart people do.