WUWM

World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM)

The World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM) is an international non-profit association that is involved in every domain and activity relating to global promotion, development and sharing of experience and information for retail and wholesale markets. The WUWM provides information to the general public and public bodies on the important role and activities of this sector of markets.

MISSION

To promote the vital role wholesale markets play in ensuring supplies, accessibility and distribution of different fresh produce and foodstuffs of good quality, at competitive prices, in compliance with high standards of service and food safety in the context of the international community.

OBJECTIVES

- To develop and encourage international information sharing on wholesale and retail markets, with a view to perfecting the set-up, organization and management of member wholesale markets;
- To participate in the activities and challenges of wholesale and retail markets and production markets or emerging markets;
- To share experience, best practices, knowledge and know-how within the community of members for their benefit and to promote the sector;
- To develop and encourage the important ties that exist in markets between offices, operators, shopkeepers and firms;

Through the intermediary of its members, the WUWM helps pass on special knowledge and know-how from operators who are trying to improve their markets’ construction, organization and management. The WUWM acts as an important tool at the service of the legislators in charge of the safety of food products and food chain distribution services in their city or country.

VISIONS

1. Assuring recognition of the important role wholesale and retail markets play in local, national and international distribution chains for foodstuffs.
2. Assuring that the WUWM is recognized in the world as an important international organization in charge of promoting and developing wholesale and retail markets. To that end:

a) it must represent an effective arena for sharing, making contacts and increasing awareness in the field of wholesale markets
b) it must support its members during the development of their commercial activities by encouraging mutual relations between wholesale markets and retail markets, by building ties between exporters, importers and wholesale traders in the context of our markets. In short, it is about helping members expand their customer and supplier base.

3. Seriously representing the interests of wholesale and retail markets in negotiations with international bodies, national and local government, demonstrating and underlining the social, economic and environmental contributions of the action of wholesale and retail markets.

WUWM TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

Committee for retail markets:

1. Share information and knowledge – with the community of members and with other public and private bodiesµ
2. Offer a strategy and complex knowledge in the field of the retail market sector
3. Support members during operations and to promote markets
4. Lobby – notably target public and private bodies, decision-makers, parliamentary groups, legislators and other organizations in contact with markets
5. Support and develop methods that have proven successful for retail markets.

Committee for food health and safety
The WUWM provides knowledge and know-how to decision-makers throughout the world, whose action affects numerous domains relating to food health and safety. The European section of WUWM works closely with the European Commission in areas falling under the European health and safety regulations. It also spends time on other problems in the common interest of member markets in this region. The best practice manual for WUWM wholesale market bodies in the European Union has been submitted for approval as the European Union manual for the wholesale market sector.

Committee for markets and the environment
The WUWM seeks to increase public awareness of the considerable efforts made to protect the environment in the wholesale market sector. The action counts on economical waste treatment by means of transport flows, recycling and energy saving. The issues we will be focusing on in future include harmful environmental phenomena (noise, transport etc.), water purification and residuary water, reducing waste in public areas, etc.

Also...
At the moment, some new work committees have been set up concerning marketing areas and support for relations between the official bodies and market stallholders.

Regional work groups of the WUWM
Our regional work groups for Europe, North America, South America, Asia/Pacific and Africa support members’ active commitment, encourage activities by specific contributions, support studies and regional projects concerning markets and help ensure efficient representation in the context of the global food distribution sector.

WUWM ACTIONS AND COMMUNICATION

Conferences and congresses
The WUWM usually organizes an international congress every two years, and a members’ conference every year. When required, it also holds topical or regional meetings. The WUWM congress is open to members and non-members; it deals with issues of concern to operators and traders on wholesale and retail markets, experts on food health and safety questions, representatives of the food industry, producers, distributors, universities and decision-makers, at regional and national levels. WUWM congresses offer delegates unique opportunities to make international contacts and discuss the problems and latest trends facing wholesale and retail markets as well as market and food distribution sectors from all over the world. WUWM conferences are notably attended by members from the whole world, while observers and non-member guests are always welcome to join us.

Website
The WUWM website provides an overview of our association and its members and activities, with one section reserved for members only.

E-bulletin
The WUWM publishes a monthly bulletin distributed to members and interested readers around the world. If you would like to receive this bulletin, click on the WUWM link below.
www.wuwm.org

WUWM Informations
Maria CAVIT
Secretary General
World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM)
Promoting wholesale and retail markets world-wide...
Molenstraat 15
2513 BH, The Hague
Netherlands
Tel: +31 70 361 1728
Fax: +31 70 360 6908
E-mail: m.cavit@wuwm.org
URL: www.wuwm.org