RFID FUBAR

RFID Fouled up beyond all recognition? Not hardly, but being first with a technology like RFID isn't a cakewalk, and Wal-Mart is changing strategy, this story from ComputerWorld notes.
From the story:

Though Wal-Mart Stores Inc. expects the number of its stores using radio frequency identification systems to reach 1,000 in April, the retailer has come under fire from some analysts and users for failing to meet its plan for installing the technology in its distribution centers. A spokesman last week acknowledged that the company missed its goal of installing RFID technology in 12 of its 137 distribution centers by the end of 2006. Simon Langford, director of RFID and transportation systems at Wal-Mart, said the missed goal reflects a change in course by the company to instead concentrate on RFID-enabling its retail stores.
Wal-Mart began its RFID journey early in this decade, when it mandated that its 100 top suppliers start tagging all cases and pallets carrying merchandise by January 2005. Wal-Mart officials said 600 of its suppliers are currently RFID-enabled. Despite the missed deadline for installing the technology in the distribution centers, Langford insisted that Wal-Mart’s overall RFID effort is on track and has been successful so far. “We’re accelerating [RFID adoption] and at a greater pace than last year,” he said.

TK: Wal-Mart officials quoted in the story insist that RFID at retail has helped reduce out-of-stocks by 30%, while critics say the lack of full RFID adoption at DCs is troubling because the items there will be invisible to the supply chain. Here is one observer who had some questions about RFID research at the retail level. Here is a story where Wal-Mart insists it is not backtracking on RFID.

It's a wrap

The first Fresh Talk poll has gone out with a wimper. The wildly unscientific results are in: What should be the top priority for specialty crop funding in the farm bill? 77% of you say federal nutrition programs. 18% said generic promotion of fruits and vegetables. And 4% - actually one person - said specialty crop block grants to state departments of ag.

Why the wait?

Here is the letter sent March 5 by Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, joined by Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger. They ask President Bush; why the wait in federal assistance from FEMA?
From the letter:

We write to follow up on our February 2nd requests for a federal disaster declaration in counties that were devastated by the January agricultural freeze in California and urge you to immediately grant the declaration. The unprecedented freezing temperatures in California destroyed $1.323 billion in crops and left thousands of citrus industry workers unemployed. It has been over a month since our initial request, and as the State continues to wait for your decision, more and more farm workers and their families are struggling every day to deal with the ongoing impacts of the freeze on their lives.On February 2nd, Governor Schwarzenegger requested that you provide federal disaster assistance for the impacted workers in the form of Disaster Unemployment Assistance, Food Coupons and Distribution, Crisis Counseling, and Legal Services.
......
State and local groups can only provide so much assistance during disasters, and it is the responsibility of the federal government to help shoulder the burden in times of crisis. The urgency of the need for federal assistance to help these farm workers and their families cannot be underestimated. Francisco Torres, a 26-year veteran citrus worker whose son is serving in Iraq tells of how his fellow citrus workers are struggling to pay the rent because there is not enough work, and citrus grower Marc McBroom has had to lay off 120 of his harvesters because of the freeze.
.......

It is our understanding that last week Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff gave you the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) certification of California’s eligibility for disaster assistance. Your signature is the last hurdle to clear before federal assistance can begin flowing to the thousands of workers and their families whose livelihoods have been devastated by the freeze.We urge you to immediately declare a federal disaster in the 31 California counties impacted by the freeze and to task the appropriate federal agencies to do all that is necessary to deal with its tragic impacts.


TK: A spokesman for the USDA's Farm Services Administration said that Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns has already declared disaster designations for California, here for 2 counties and here for 18 counties. Those links take you to news releases that describe those declarations. Other declarations are pending for five additional counties, including Los Angeles, Marin, Solano and Ventura and Sonoma.

California is waiting on the Presidential declaration of disaster through FEMA.
A California citrus industry source said that the Presidential declaration is expected. Once that presidential declaration is in hand, disaster relief legislation in Congress will be hammered out, which will likely provide the most meaningful relief.

Meanwhile, here is a link about how the disaster relief is being brought into the debate over funding for the war in Iraq.

Up the chain

Retailers may have even more motivation to insist on due diligence from their suppliers. This report from the Detroit Free Press begins:

When food is recalled, U.S. consumers get a lot of information to help them learn whether they have the potentially dangerous product.
They're told the product name, how it's packaged, if it has an identifying code and the states or regions in which it was sold. They may even see a product photo. What they usually aren't told is where it was sold.

The story explains that may change in view of a proposal from USDA and a new law in California that would result in the naming of retailers involved in a meat recall.

Continuing the story:

That may soon change, given a new law in California and a national proposal that reflects new thinking on the part of meat and poultry regulators but is staunchly opposed by meat processors and food retailers.
The California law, effective July 1, will authorize health officials in that state to inform consumers which retailers sold meat and poultry covered by the most serious recalls.
The national proposal comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which wants to post retailer names and store locations on its Web site for all meat and poultry recalls. The agency expects to finalize its plans by year's end. If it follows through, it will break ranks with the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees other food recalls. The FDA has no plans to release retailer names, as it considers them confidential, spokesman Michael Herndon said.


TK: Again, this only applies to meat products. I think it makes sense because of those cases where a supermarket may have a private label brand that is tainted. Retailers and meat processors argue that it may make recalls less effective because of the lag in time between the recall and the reporting of which retailers sold the product.

FRAC News

The Food Research and Action Center issues a weekly bulletin that highlights news about nutrition and hunger. A couple of items caught my eye:

The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that 754,000 people, including those who lived in shelters, transitional housing and on the street, were homeless in 2005. The nation has 300,000 more homeless people than available beds in shelters and transitional housing, the agency said. HUD officials hope the new report will serve as a starting point to measure the elusive homeless population more accurately and better understand homelessness.

And...

A record 56,047 families from the District of Columbia were on waiting lists for public housing and Section 8 vouchers in November 2006, according to the D.C. Housing Authority. This figure is up 7 percent from the same period in 2005. Every day about 300 families are waiting for a spot in D.C. Village, an emergency shelter that has fewer than 70 beds and is known for crowding, infestations and other problems

It is sometimes hard to see the people in need all around us, but how trying these times must be to so many thousands of families struggling to make it. There but for the grace of God ....

FRAC had more upbeat news, a link to Dole's rollout of a pilot program for healthy vending machines:

In a partnership with national organizations, Dole Food Company is planning to launch a pilot program that will introduce to schools new vending machines featuring healthy food products. With help from the School Link Technology software, the machines will offer students fresh fruit snacks and meals made by the company in conjunction with cafeteria-prepared salads, sandwich wraps and milk. All foods chosen for the vending machines are approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and reimbursable under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. In the first phase of the Dole pilot, vending machines will be installed in 15 schools located in Mesa, Ariz., Denver, Colo., Shawnee Mission, Kan., Corpus Christi, Texas and Conroe, Texas.

Dole's program sounds like a winner. Finding the right mix of products - and keeping those products at optimal freshness - will be key.

Organic sunset review

The USDA issued a lengthy proposed rule today that addresses the sunset provisions of the Organic Foods Production Act. That legislation established a National List of allowed and prohibited substances.
From the rule:

The National List identifies synthetic substances (synthetics) that are exempted (allowed) and nonsynthetic substances (nonsynthetics) that are prohibited in organic crop and livestock production. The National List also identifies nonsynthetics and synthetics that are exempted for use in organic handling. The exemptions and prohibitions granted under the OFPA are required to be reviewed every 5 years by the NOSB.
If they are not reviewed by the NOSB within 5 years of their inclusion on the National List and renewed by the Secretary, their authorized use or prohibition expires. This means that a synthetic substance exempted for use on the National List in 2002 and currently allowed for use in organic production will no longer be allowed for use after October 21, 2007; a non-synthetic substance prohibited from use on the National List in 2002 and currently prohibited from use in organic production will be allowed after October 21, 2007; and a synthetic or nonsynthetic substance exempted for use on the National List and currently allowed for use in organic handling will be prohibited after October 21, 2007.

Got it?

Bottom line: This proposed rule would renew 166 of the 169 exemptions and prohibitions on the National List (along with any restrictive annotations), and remove 3 exemptions from the National List. Comments must be received by May 7, 2007.