Every link of the supply chain must add value | Principles | A Community Route

Whilst it is the money system and the way that money creation and circulation are managed that are the fundamental problem with the way that the worldwide economy works today, this mismanagement itself has encouraged a cultural mindset that focuses on saving costs and making more profit – not as a consequence of what the business does; not because there is some kind of rule requiring them to do so; not because circumstances demand it of them. But because they can.

We have reached a stage where businesses that we could argue have a legitimate involvement in supply chains, such as supermarkets, already use every excuse that sounds plausible to convince retail customers that prices need to keep rising. Meanwhile, they push producers and growers at the other end of the supply chain to sell at prices where they can barely continue to exist (and increasingly don’t).

But the problem reaches way beyond businesses such as those we would recognise as having a legitimate role in production and supply to play.

There are also many other companies, ‘agents’, speculators, and other ‘interests’, who buy and sell raw materials, components, ingredients, fuels, minerals and even currencies, who do nothing to add value to the product or whatever it is they are buying and selling. But as they do so, they add and take a fee for themselves.

That profit, made without adding value – when adding value could be refining, making an engine out of components, or even selling to the customer at the end of the ‘chain’, raises the costs of all of these goods and even services unnecessarily. In every circumstance where this happens, it makes it more expensive for everyone to live.

There should always be a reward for input, whether that be growing, mining, processing, refining, delivering or selling. But nobody and no business should be able to take a reward, just because they can afford to insert themselves into any part of any supply chain that exists or may be under discussion ahead of time – pushing up prices as they do so, and then selling on at a profit which pushed those prices up further – and by so doing, almost guarantees that other 3^rd parties with no positive role to play, will then become involved.

Regrettably, the historic greed of growers, producers and all the different companies that in some cases also carry out unnecessary cost-raising activities or roles, has surrendered the ability of whole industries to take back control of their own marketplace and choose to supply or play a role in what are the necessary supply chains that are needed, rather than being wanted by 3^rd parties, because of the way that money has become involved.

Supply chains must be as short as it is possible for them to be, and no unnecessary business, agent or entity of any kind can be allowed to be involved in the growing, production, manufacturing, storing, transport or selling of foods, goods and services that are essential to life – of any kind.

Of those businesses or entities that have involvement at any stage of any supply chain, they MUST add value to the chain with whatever it is they do. No other interests other than those that are adding value to the chain should ever become involved.

Speculation or ‘futures’ must be prohibited for any raw materials, foods or goods that are part of any supply chain that provides essential goods, services or supplies that are essential to basic life.

Speculation and ‘futures’ selling or handling is nothing more than gambling and no one has the right to gamble with anyone else’s life.