mfk observations haiti march 2012

MFKHaiti: Observations March 2012

Paul Kindl

Suzanne Langlois

Linda Locke

Cap-Haitien

Our Mission

Meds & Food for Kids

is dedicated to

saving the lives of

Haiti’s malnourished children

and other

nutritionally-vulnerable people.

Four Primary Functions

• Peanut procurement/processing• Agriculture development• Capacity building for feeding programs• Research and development

Two defining moments last week: --increased production

-- signed contract with UNICEF

What does today’s changing pricing model mean for our goal of economic

sustainabilty?

MFK will be the largest buyer of peanuts in northern Haiti. What are the implications for our organization as a primary driver of

the regional peanut market?

How does our commitment to using 50% Haitian peanuts impact our financial

stability today and in the future?

Peanuts are a commodity on the demand side. We are a producer but not a price-

setter because of who our new customers are. What are the implications for the

future?

Do we need to think consciously about our work culture so we can hire the best

people in the face of increasing competition?

What functions are crucial for success in the new factory? Peanut procurement?

Production planning?

Jamie Rhoades and Tom Stehl will both leave by the end of the year. How will we

transfer their knowledge?

As the new factory and new equipment enable us to increase volume ten-fold,

how do we manage the production cycle to ensure our customers are satisfied?

We are ramping up two products simultaneously. What are the production

and distribution implications of dual product lines for the new factory?

Will today’s vision sustain us for tomorrow?