reCONNECT 2025 | Global Sourcing Meets Traceability: How to Build Resilience from the Ground Up

Sourcing food globally has never been more complex. From rising climate volatility to new regulatory requirements, every step in the food supply chain now comes with added scrutiny and added risk. Companies are being asked to deliver year-round availability, stay compliant with evolving regional standards, and respond quickly when disruption hits. In this environment, food safety and traceability have gone from being back-end concerns to the very foundation of supply chain resilience.

The decisions made during sourcing impact cost, efficiency, safety, brand reputation, and the ability to pivot during unexpected events. With more food companies operating across borders, the ability to unify standards, share accurate data, and stay responsive is becoming a competitive advantage. Resilience now depends on how well global sourcing and traceability work together.

In this Virtual reCONNECT 2025 session, Takashi Nakamura, Vice President of Global Food Safety at Fresh Del Monte, joins Trustwell’s Julie McGill for a conversation about how companies can manage disruption while keeping safety and transparency intact.

Takashi brings deep experience leading food safety across fresh-cut and processed produce operations worldwide. His leadership is rooted in science, process discipline, and strong partnerships on the ground with growers and suppliers.

Julie McGill, Vice President of Supply Chain Strategy and Insights at Trustwell, draws on years of experience guiding industry standards, collaborating with retailers and regulators, and helping companies operationalize traceability practices that work in the real world.

Watch On-Demand: A Fresh Take on Traceability with Del Monte

Together, they’ll unpack how sourcing, safety, and traceability strategies come together in a global context and what it takes to stay ahead of change without compromising your standards.

In this session, you’ll discover:

• What pressures are shaping sourcing decisions today, from chemical residue limits to shifting retailer requirements
• How Fresh Del Monte supports safe, agile sourcing through supplier engagement, traceability protocols, and shared expectations
• How teams are managing climate-related risks by expanding grower bases into new regions while maintaining safety baselines

Julie and Takashi will also explore the challenge of a year-round food supply. As consumer expectations continue to push availability into all 12 months, companies are forced to build larger and more diverse supplier networks. That complexity brings operational risk. You’ll hear how Fresh Del Monte sets guardrails to avoid overextending and how marketing, procurement, and food safety stay aligned on what’s realistic and responsible.

This conversation will also highlight what preparedness looks like in action. From building pre-configured onboarding kits to running incident drills with suppliers, resilience doesn’t come from reacting well. It comes from planning early. You’ll walk away with clear ideas for how to assess supplier readiness, strengthen your traceability records, and respond to changes in regulation, cost, or availability without losing visibility.

Join Us for Virtual reCONNECT 2025: The Connected Future of the Food Industry