Walmart Commits to America's Farmers as Produce Aisles Go Local (2024)

FAQs

Walmart Commits to America's Farmers as Produce Aisles Go Local? ›

Walmart now highlights locally grown produce in its stores across the country. Customers will find it easy to recognize locally grown fruits and vegetables with signs that include official state-grown marks, indicating approval by their state's agriculture department.

Walmart's locally grown program gives consumers the opportunity to support their local economy by purchasing items from local famers/suppliers. According to the USDA, the United States has lost 4.7 million farms since 1935. By purchasing locally grown produce, Walmart supports America's family farmers.

Walmart works with small farmers around the globe to enhance their capacity through technical training and market linkages locally and internationally. Through this program Walmart and its customers receive a higher quality product while farmers receive an increased and consistent income stream.

All of their produce comes from the united states. For example, their romaine lettuce is sourced from california and their rainer cherries are sourced from washington.

We are committed to providing items grown, made and sourced in America. Most of the products we source for our retail businesses in the U.S. and other major markets like Mexico were made, grown or assembled domestically.

Donating unsold food: When food goes unsold, Walmart works to get it to people and places that need it while it remains nutritious. In FY2023, we donated more than 665 million pounds of food in the U.S. alone.

Finally, if food is no longer edible, we work to convert it to animal feed, compost or energy.

Walmart partners with over 10,000 farms across America to source your produce. Our American growers are the backbone of their communities and towns. They're 3rd & 4th generation family-owned businesses. Together with our growers, we are dedicated to bringing you the freshest produce possible.

Farmers usually sell their products on the fields themselves. Buyers control the market and fix a price. Usually, there are agents who visit the field to buy crops directly from farmers.

Does “local” cost more? Consumers may perceive that it costs more to buy from a farmers market, but research shows that in general, the cost of buying locally grown and/or locally grown certified organic products is competitive with regular supermarket prices.

Where does Walmart get its tomatoes? ›

Bailly noted: “Although we import tomatoes from Mexico and Canada, it is important to note that Walmart is a large purchaser of U.S. grown produce items and we are committed to sourcing as much food as we can domestically. Last year, we purchased tomatoes from 21 states across the U.S. from growers.

From the time the bananas are packed into containers on farms in Mexico, Central America, and the top of South America, to the time they reach Walmart stores, they are kept at 56 degrees Fahrenheit. This process takes anywhere from two to 3.5 weeks, Wenninger said.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. purchases strawberries directly from about two dozen suppliers in California, including the Santa Maria-based Better Produce. Better Produce farms has about 600 acres worth of strawberries in Nipomo and Santa Maria, half of which raises strawberries for Wal-Mart.

In America, estimates say that Chinese suppliers make up 70-80 percent of Walmart's merchandise, leaving less than 20 percent for American-made products,” according to the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

The US is our main export destination." Manuelita is one of the leading suppliers of table grapes from Peru to Walmart in the United States and they also sell them to other supermarkets in the United States, such as Sam's Club and Costco, as well as to Lowlabs in Canada, and Tesco and Waitrose in the UK, among others.

The majority of its suppliers are in the United States. However, the supply chain for Walmart stores is global, with suppliers in the United Kingdom, Canada, China, Mexico, Taiwan, Hong Kong, France, and other countries.

Grocery stores get their produce in two ways. They either purchase fresh fruit and vegetables directly from farmers or buy them through grocery distribution companies. There are grocery distribution companies specializing in just produce and distribution companies specializing in specific grocery items.

We appreciate your interest in becoming a Walmart supplier and would like to introduce you to the Local Purchase Program. This program provides an avenue for small, domestic suppliers to sell their locally made, shelf ready products at Walmart stores within their area.

Bailly noted: “Although we import tomatoes from Mexico and Canada, it is important to note that Walmart is a large purchaser of U.S. grown produce items and we are committed to sourcing as much food as we can domestically. Last year, we purchased tomatoes from 21 states across the U.S. from growers.