The recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa was a tragedy that, depending on which statistics you read, claimed the lives of at least 10,000 people and sent shock waves around the entire world.
Both Z Energy and Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd are local companies that operate long and complex supply chains bringing critical goods to New Zealand consumers. “This epidemic has served as a catalyst to sharpen the focus of both of our companies around the extent to which New Zealand as an economy depends on the security and resilience of a large number of global and domestic supply chains,” says Steve Anderson, Managing Director, Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd.
Anderson says: “At the bottom of the world and geographically isolated from major import and export markets, New Zealand’s supply chains are fundamental to our country’s economic success, yet how much do we think about this? Given how much we depend upon them, how secure are our supply chains? How well equipped are they to deal with unexpected global events? Could they be more resilient?”
Both Z Energy and Foodstuffs (NZ) Ltd felt that reflecting upon these questions was a conversation that mattered for businesses, consumers, emergency service providers, infrastructure operators and central and local government. Anderson says: “To this end, we have jointly sponsored the development and production of the attached report into what New Zealand might learn from the recent Ebola outbreak in terms of the operation and resilience of its supply chains. The report is authored by three of New Zealand’s leading strategic thinkers and we are releasing it into the public domain in the hope that it generates further conversation and thinking in this important area.”
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