Home Grown by Sysco pilot launches in three U.S. regions and parts of Canada

Sysco is launching a Home Grown by Sysco pilot on Feb. 24 that will identify about 10,000 locally sourced products in three U.S. regions and two Canadian sites, and the company plans to expand the program across the United States within 12 months.

Sysco is launching a pilot of its Home Grown by Sysco program to make locally sourced and artisan products easier to find. The pilot begins February 24 in three U.S. regions — the Great Lakes, Northeast and South Florida — and includes the Montreal site and British Columbia in Canada. The program will tag about 10,000 locally sourced items on the Sysco Shop website and mobile app. Sysco says it plans to expand the program across the United States within the next 12 months. Key details: - Pilot start date: February 24. - Regions included: Great Lakes, Northeast and South Florida in the United States, plus the Montreal site and British Columbia in Canada. - Scope: About 10,000 locally sourced products will be identified on the Sysco Shop website and mobile app. - Program context: Home Grown by Sysco is part of Sysco's One Planet One Table assortment and is tied to the company's recently announced sustainability strategy. - Definition: The pilot defines "locally sourced" as items originating from a geographic area close to a Sysco distribution center, typically within the same state or province or a designated distance depending on site, product and applicable laws. Summary: Sysco describes the pilot as a response to customer demand and as a way to support small suppliers and local supply chains. The company will use the pilot to improve software and product identifiers so the customer experience is more seamless and transparent. The pilot is intended to be a step toward scaling the Home Grown program across North America, with expansion across the U.S. planned within the next 12 months.