Pilot addresses gap in distribution infrastructure

NELSON – A pilot project to transform food distribution in the Kootenays is underway through the Central Kootenay Food Policy Council (CKFPC) with the goal of building a more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable food distribution system across the region.

“The Kootenays is a large geographic area and home to a broad network of interconnected people and food-related businesses from meat, vegetable and dairy products to value-added beverages, canned foods and other products,” says CKFPC executive director Damon Chouinard, who says a regional scope is especially important in food-system research and decision-making. “Yet there is only one primary cold storage truck moving through the area and some smaller independent carriers.”

The gap prompted development of the Grow and Connect Kootenay Distribution Project, one of three BC pilots taking place under the “Grow and Connect Interior” umbrella which also includes projects in the Kamloops and Boundary regions. All three pilots use the Grow and Connect software developed by TruGIS Consulting, specialists in GIS data tracking applications.

In the Kootenays, the software is being used to automate the food distribution process, improve communication between producers, carriers and retailers, and create cost-effective options for producers to move their products throughout the region.

“It’s challenging for our small-scale seasonal  producers to find a carrier they can afford. Those that are successful are usually transporting their own goods within the region, a time-consuming, inefficient process that takes them away from producing. As a result, there are numerous examples of missed opportunities for new business, late deliveries and lack of capacity among producers to fill retail orders.”

Rebecca Richards of Hedgehog & Heron Consulting initiated the Kootenay distribution pilot while working in rural and economic development out of Trail. Richards was contracted by CKFCP in 2023 to continue championing the project.

“Initially, we looked at supply chain issues in multiple sectors and there was particularly strong interest from the food and agriculture sector,” Richards says.

More than 30 producers, carriers and retailers have expressed interest in using the system, shared information about their transportation needs and participated in testing of distribution routes.

Once the automation of existing food transportation routes is completed, a critical focus will be establishing aggregation points where multiple producers can drop off, store and consolidate goods to be picked up by participating carriers.

Eventually the software will include an order status tracking application so that suppliers, retail customers and carriers have timely access to information about orders. Professional carriers can use the system to realize more business opportunities and ensure full loads when their trucks are on the road.  Users can also confirm or adjust delivery times, and check on how products are stored and handled during transportation, and at aggregation points.

A working model is expected to be available by mid-2025. At that point, system users will be able to use the information in the system to collaborate on the development of new routes and business partnerships. It is hoped the supply chain model will be adopted by other communities in BC.

Kootenay Co-op marketing manager Amanda Verigan is enthusiastic about the potential.

The co-op is the largest independent consumer-owned natural foods retail co-operative in Canada, and a major retail supplier of Kootenay-made food products.

“This project has really grown from the initial concept to creation of real-life applications,” she says. “It demonstrates the importance of food supply research and how issues can be solved when multiple organizations work together to address them.”

CKFPC was established in 2016 to promote a coordinated approach to resolving issues related to hunger, agriculture, land and water. It supports networking, public education, and research around local food systems in both municipal and rural areas in the central Kootenays.

 

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