The Alaska food chain links up.(From the Publisher)

Just as some observers had begun to sense a cyclical end to the once popular business and commercial trade show and exposition, along comes Robin Richardson and her Global Food Alaska Conference and Trade Show in Soldotna, sponsored by Global Food Collaborative LLC of Anchorage.

BOFFO! SRO! Smash hit--all the superlatives apply to this one. Nearly every major Alaska food supply chain producer, consumer and ancillary-service provider--such as investors, retailers, policy-makers, distributors, and dozens of other interests--showed up to jam-pack the Soldotna Sports Facility last month.

The slate of presenters and attendees studded with national and international personalities comprised a stellar aggregation that might have surprised any experienced observer. Add the appearance and active participation of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and her family, themselves Bristol Bay set-net permit operators, and one would have to say Richardson pulled off a coup unparalleled in recent years.

Global Food Collaborative (GFC), a private business facilitation company, is the brainchild of Richardson. She reveals her first insight that the food industry is a global industry might stem from a 1977 talk given by Dr. Glenn Olds, former president of Alaska Pacific University and commissioner of the Alaska departments of Commerce and Economic Development, and Natural Resources. He foresaw that Alaska could become a food producer to the world.

GFC engages in all aspects of the supply chain of food and food-based products in Alaska. It was the prime sponsor of "Global Food Alaska--2007," a two-day conference and trade show last month, attracting more than 150 exhibitors and some 400 attendees.

With strawberries in January and crisp apples year-round, can there be any doubt that the food industry is global? As for Alaska businesses, getting to know more about and participate in the globality of the food supply chain is elementary to those who can see beyond this decade, as many organizations have already done: food service companies such as NANA-Marriott (Sodexho), Eurest (Compass Group); distributors like Sysco, Food Services of America, and Alaska Commercial Co.; and food processors like Nichiro, Maruha, and Trident; plus supporting businesses with strong reach to a growing global food industry such as Agrium and Lufthansa Airlines, says Richardson.

She asserts that getting to know more about the components of a successful food industry will demonstrate rapid growth of ancillary businesses like packaging, transportation, cold storage, primary and secondary processing, marketing and private labeling, inspection, information and scientific technologies, education, construction and the further diversity of food stuffs still to be developed and to be brought on line down the line.

Richardson is a unique businesswoman who believes that for Alaska to become a world-class food producer it does not require massive U.S. government or State of Alaska commitments of public equity to further politically driven rather than economically driven projects.

"Oh yes, I remember the government grain, dairy and seafood processing programs of the past. I think we've gone down that road way too many times," she says. "The big picture is to ask buyers what they want and how they want it. Alaska can be the 'kick ass' food producer for the world, but first we must listen to the world."

And that's what happened in Soldotna last month: food suppliers and buyers came together for the first time, thanks to a visionary Robin Richardson.

--Vern C. McCorkle

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