Farm Aid

Dec 28, 2021

12/28/2021 | 12:00am EST Message : *Required fields NEW YORK, Dec 28 (Reuters) - When you order at ChipotleMexican Grill, you are probably not thinking about the complexsupply chain that got your food into your hands. That is Brian Niccol’s job. As Chipotle’s CEO and chair, the buck stops with Niccol whenit comes to all those logistics. But Niccol does want you toconsider the land and workers needed to make it all happenbecause without them, you’re not getting that meal. Niccol spoke with Reuters about the real and disturbingimplications of disappearing farmers and farmland. Q: Why do you think farming is in such crisis? A: A lot of farms are not transferring generationally and alot of farmland is being lost to development. We are running anew campaign informing people about this, because we want tomake sure land ends up in the hands of farmers. In the last decade alone, the U.S. has lost more than 20million acres of farmland, and 400 million acres are expected toneed new farmers in coming years. If young farmers can’t find affordable land, that’s just notgoing to happen. We want to make sure government is aware ofthis, and people are aware because a lot of folks don’t evenrealize this is happening. Q: The number of farmers has been declining for decades.What does this mean for you? A: We love the idea of supporting small farmers. We want tostay committed to food with integrity and that means responsiblyraised animals and organic produce. We need small farmers, and we are committed to buying fromthem. We also invest in them and give them tools to provide foodat scale. This is constantly on our minds, and we hold ourselvesaccountable. Q: How do you support them specifically? A: One of the biggest things is creating long-termcontracts. If you give them a three- or four-year contract, thathelps dramatically because they know they have a buyer on theother end, and can invest accordingly. The other thing we do is provide grants for younger farmerswho are getting started and need money to plant their first cropor buy their first animals. Q: Everyone is talking about the supply-chain nightmare. Isit giving you constant headaches? A: We have a lot of great partners and have been able tosmart forward-buy where we need to, to stay in stock on keyitems. But it’s not getting any easier, that’s for sure. Betweenfreight and labor challenges, this is a daily discussion. Q: Are there particular menu items that are harder to securethan others? A: So many items are grown and raised right here in theU.S., and we have longstanding relationships with those folks.We knew what to plan for, and we didn’t run into any realproblems. Lately the bigger challenges have been associated withbuilding restaurants: There you run into challenges like gettingaccess to HVAC equipment, and buying enough steel to makegrills. Q: How has the labor squeeze impacted you? A: There is a real battle going on for labor. I’ve neverseen it so tight. That’s why it’s really important to talk aboutpurpose. Another part of it is that you have to have wages right andthe ability to grow those wages. We also offer benefits I reallylove, like debt-free degrees and tuition reimbursement. We havealways been a leader on the wage and benefit front. Q: What leadership lessons have you taken away from theCOVID era? A: From a management standpoint, you can’t communicateenough in times of uncertainty. You can’t be afraid to say,"This is working" or "This isn’t working." You have to keep the communication flowing. Be transparentin what you know and what you don’t know, and then ask forfeedback because it can’t be just one-way communication. Q: What is your favorite item on the menu? A: Barbacoa (beef). I love it. I get it every which waypossible. (Editing by Lauren Young)