Local Sourcing Is Not Always More Sustainable—or More Profitable

At a procurement meeting, I once heard a statement delivered with absolute certainty: “If the supplier is within fifty kilometres, the decision is already sustainable.” No one challenged it. Proximity seemed, on its own, to resolve the environmental footprint, social commitment and even product quality. Yet when we reviewed the operation, we found that supplier was making five deliveries a week in partially loaded vehicles, using formats that generated more waste and experiencing stockouts that forced the hotel to resort to urgent purchasing. The distance was short; the supply chain was far less exemplary.

I support local purchasing because I have seen what it can contribute to a hotel and its surroundings. It can improve traceability, facilitate direct conversations with producers, protect traditional skills, support local employment and build a more honest relationship with the destination. It can also enrich the guest experience in hotels when the origin of the product is a genuine part of what we serve rather than merely a decorative phrase on the menu. But precisely because I recognise its value, I believe we must protect it from easy slogans.