Since I first started in this business 4 years ago, the non-GMO playing field has evolved immensely.

In the only last year, the demand for non-gmo oils has spread from being a healthy oil trait to now being in demand for ALL oils. In other words, not only is there a consumer cry for healthier oils that are non-gmo — the mantra has also changed to mandate the swap out all oils, premium or not, to their non-gmo versions.

Many restaurants, universities and food manufacturers are all making the switch to non-gmo ingredients— even on their cheaper oils like vegetable oil and fry oils.

I’ve noticed something in the last few months. Customers really want to buy High Oleic Non-GMO Canola Oil… But they can’t get any.

That’s right. The oil that is skyrocketing in popularity is almost completely unavailable (unless you’ve already locked in a contract — in that case, lucky you!). If you are trying to buy this oil now and struggling to do so, here’s what you can do to plan a steady supply for next year (October 2015 - October 2016, after the next harvest).

Long story short, now is the time to lock in the seeds with farmers, because now is when they’re putting them in the ground. Take some action now to guarantee a steady supply chain for this oil.

I have a friend who is convinced coconut oil is the oil of the gods — the be all end all of healthy food.

Others that I’ve talked with are absolutely positive that olive oil is the one and only, healthiest oil.

Period.

[Picture Spartacus of the health foodies.]

Right now, there’s a number of different cooking oils that are battling for the title of “The Healthiest Oil”. Depending on who you listen to, you could be convinced either way. But that’s not what’s important for you and your food brand.

What’s key for you in the natural food industry is to understand what your specific customers actually want to see in their food. Usually when you’re talking about the typical Whole Foods’ customer, this answer is the healthiest ingredient that still tastes good”.

I wanted to get an idea of what people really thought, so I did a quick survey.  

If your small business is growing, you will — at some point— need to make the necessary transition to start buying your ingredients from a bulk supplier.

The hard part is to understand the supply industry and navigate that gray area to figure out when these transitions make sense for your business – both financially and for your facility.

It took me two years and many different small business cost analyses. But the good news is, I ran the numbers (at least 50 times), and I can officially weigh-in and give you an accurate answer on when and why you should buy your ingredients in bulk.  

Trust is a major factor when choosing suppliers, as well as deciding to stay with them for years. In fact, trust, follow through and understanding of your industry were some of the top factors you all shared when choosing and staying with your suppliers.

I’ve been intrigued by this insight, that I wanted to dig deeper. On Procurious, I recently asked a question of your procurement peers:

So how do you define trust? And what components of trust are most important when it comes to setting up your supply chain?

The answers I got back on the definition of trust were interesting and perceptive. Best of all, they told the story of HOW all of your ingredient suppliers need to PROVE their trust to you as a customer.

Do you want Lucky Charms or Shredded Wheat?

When you buy a box of cereal for your family, the buying process is often made in a split second. But there’s actually a lot of analysis that goes on under the surface.

If you’re responsible for buying for your company, you have to make well thought-out decisions that bring value to the business. And choosing your bulk ingredients is no split second decision. It typically follows a very in-depth research and analysis process.

If you’re an experienced supply chain manager, you’re probably quite familiar with this process. But, if you’re new to purchasing or even the edible fats and oils category, we’d like to give you a quick run down.

Email avalanches. They’re the worst. What starts as a reasonably organized inbox can get way out of control, way fast.

As someone with tens of thousands of emails in my inbox over the last few years, I’ve created a good system to keep organized and make sure that none of my tasks get lost in the shuffle. In my system, your inbox is set up as a to-do list. If any email requires action from you in any way, keep it in you inbox. When you’re done with it, label and archive it so that it is neatly put away— out of sight, out of mind.

This article will walk you through the steps to set up your organized email if you use gmail. If you haven’t read it yet, you should read the prequel to this, 7 Ways To Organize Your Email And Get $#!% Done.

Do you have 7,000 emails in your inbox? Or does your iPhone email icon look like this?

I encountered an email inbox like this the other day, and it honestly scared to me. I felt overwhelmed for him.

First, you have to understand that I’m a hyper organized person— simply because if I don’t keep something written in front of me, it’s in one ear and out the other. I require a variety of to-do lists to make sure that all of my work gets done.

What’s my best to-do list? It’s actually my ever-fluctuating email inbox.

Higher olive oil prices were predicted in the 2014/15 harvest, in contrast to the 2013/14 harvest of last year. Starting in the summer of 2014, producer prices in Spain began to rise. As a result, the global price of olive oil has gone up this year.

For a review of the commodity market from this fall 2014, we’d suggest catching up on the following article, Olive Oil Commodity Market Update 2014/2015 Harvest.

In the meantime, here’s a review of where prices are now and a some suggestions for future planning to keep your cost of goods low.

Buying in bulk has always been thought to save money. Buy more volume and bigger packaging and save more money. That’s true, BUT, to be able to buy in bulk, a whole bunch of conditions need to be met on your business side of things to have the decision make sense.

On the flip side, there are plenty of times when a small business or restaurant shouldn’t buy from a bulk supplier. If your business sounds similar to the factors below, you should actually stick with your local distributor or food service provider.

This March, I (excitedly) attended Expo West for the first time. I would agree with many that this show is an absolute must for anyone in the natural food sector.

All kinds of brands exhibit, from the smaller budding names to the top dogs. All of the delicious samples made me excited for some new products that I will be able to get at the grocery store this next year.

Walking around, it was quite clear that there were a few very popular trends, repeated aisle after aisle. Young and old brands were climbing upon the trend bandwagon, staying on top of the latest and greatest.

And you… how will you stay ahead of the game? Well, to start, you should know the emerging trends! Here they are, in no particular order.

The following is a review of the 2014 trends in olive oil imports, including the most popular grades and where they’re coming from.

As you’re reading, here’s what directly affects your manufacturing / distribution company:

• Olive oil imports continue to grow, and
• Most imported olive oil is coming from Spain or Italy

Olive oil imports continue to grow

The popularity of olive oil is still on the rise, and has been for over 25 years. With the growth of gourmet retail shops across the US and much more conversation about olive oil quality and origins, consumers are likely to have an increase in demand for olive oil in the future.

“What are the top 5 factors you consider when deciding to partner with a supplier?”

Procurious, a online community for procurement professionals, recently posed this question to your peers in one of their forums.

Procurement personnel from all over the world answered with their top factors that they use to decide upon suppliers. Interestingly enough, the discussion was weighted pretty heavily on one factor — trust. Trust, of course, encompasses a lot of different things, but there were almost 3x as many answers for this one factor than any of the others.

All of these responses could be grouped into about five different main priorities.

 Want to advance your career?  We all do.

Part of growing and advancing to your next role requires learning.  Go to school, master a new skill.  Naturally, the more experienced you are, the more valued you become-- in your current job and in your next.

The other part of professional development all comes down to networking.  When it comes to landing that perfect job, sometimes what matters more is who you know, not what you know.

Whether you're on the job hunt or just looking to continue to grow professionally, these resources are a must for anyone in the procurement field.  

Learn what you want to know and connect you with who you want to know.

... Why Leaders Lack Emotional Intelligence

... What I Have Learned About the Demand-Driven Journey

... How Starting a New Job Is Like Dating

Of course I’m interested in those articles! They all are in my field, they help me do my job better and manage my time in the work place.

They also were all served up to me on LinkedIn Pulse, because LinkedIn knows exactly the topics that I want to learn more about. And just how do they know? Because I’ve followed the right LinkedIn Pulse channels.

Today, I want to help you find and follow articles on LinkedIn that you’re going to love reading every day.