15. “Just in time” system developed in the food production chain in the late 20th century
America’s changing tastes and lifestyles in the 1950s created the need for the food production chain to respond on a just-in-time basis. Larger, wealthier firms edged out smaller local producers. National brands replaced local labels, either through mergers or buyouts, or simply driving them out of business. Every level of the food production chain relied on their supplier being ready and capable of meeting their needs in a timely manner, rather than maintaining large inventories of product. Once seasonal foods began to appear in supermarkets throughout the year. Changing tastes also dictated what appeared in stores, and when.
For example, in the 1950s, avocados were rare in American stores, outside of ethnic neighborhoods or in the Southwest. Today they are commonly found, throughout the year, in supermarkets, both fresh, and processed. Corn on the cob and watermelons, once symbols of summer, are likewise found in supermarkets during the winter months, mostly imported. Because each link of the food production chain relies on the readiness of their supplier as well as the demands of their consumers, a disruption anywhere on the chain disrupts the whole, with the result of farmers destroying products they cannot sell as end consumers experience shortages of the same, or related products.