How many strawberries will the world eat this year?
In a piece heavy on narrative flair, The Wall Street Journal dives deep on berry giant Driscoll’s Inc this week. The tale starts in March 2020, when executive Soren Bjorn admits that he blew it. After restaurants started to close during the pandemic, Bjorn decided the company should cut back on production, only to be deluged with consumer demand from the housebound and hungry. You may recall last year’s berry shortage (it’s hard to remember things!), a complement to our flour, toilet paper, and canning jar shortages. This year Driscoll’s does not intend to repeat its mistakes; the WSJ piece looks at all the sophisticated planning and data analysis being used to predict this year’s planting and harvesting. Even if you’re put off by Driscoll’s iffy labor practices, it’s a compelling behind-the-scenes peek at berry supply chain logistics.
