Food logistics providers deserve a break during COVID-19 crisis

Arguably, no other sector of our industry's arena has been harder hit than food logistics providers. Now, and important shipper's alliance is asking Washington for some help.

The International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) sent a letter to President Donald Trump, today regarding the dire scope of financial hardship prompted by COVID-19 which has negatively impacted restaurants, schools, hotels and the distributors who supply them.

According to IFDA CEO, Mark Allen, COVID-19’s economic impact on the foodservice distribution industry is dire and requires immediate attention from the Trump Administration.

“Foodservice distributors deliver to professional kitchens across America by supplying food and related products to restaurants, colleges and universities, hospitals and care facilities, hotels and resorts, and other foodservice operations,” he says. 

With many institutions closed and restaurant sales limited to carry-out and drive throughs, distributor sales have declined rapidly and substantially. Yet distributors and their restaurant customers still incur significant day to day expenses such as rent payments and they must continue to make payments on any loans they may have incurred.

In a letter to President Trump, he noted that The $280 billion foodservice distribution industry and the 350,000 Americans it employs desperately needs to be included in the economic stimulus package:

“These are the people who under normal conditions keep the supply chain flowing, they help feed America—and now we are asking that the federal government help them feed their families.”