A visit with Elizabeth

Earlier I visited with PBH official Connie Fisher about the products promotable and "all forms count" message of Fruits & Veggies: More Matters.

Here is a link of an except from an interview I had earlier this week with Elizabeth Pivonka. She talks about both products promotable and the all forms count message. There is more to the interview, and I might post it later in the weekend.

How safe is your produce?

NBC's Today show had a segment this morning titled "How safe is your produce?" You can find the link on this page, toward the bottom. I thought the visuals of Taylor Farms were outstanding, and the viewer gets an idea about field and processing high-tech food safety practices already in place. Also, a reminder at the end of the piece to not cut back on produce consumption

Chile and Japan FTA

We had some coverage this week in The Packer of the U.S.-Korea free trade pact and some sources have lamented the shabby treatment some U.S. ag commodities got from the deal. All things considered, U.S. fruit and nut exporters should feel pretty good about what they could wrest from the protectionist government in Seoul.

Here is news from Chile about their free trade deal with Japan. Chileans are zen masters of free trade deals, so it is oddly reassuring that even they don't always get what they want.

From the USDA FAS:

According to the Government of Chile, the agricultural sector will be a winner with this agreement, as a 53% of the products send to Japan will have a zero tariff after the implementation of the agreement, other 35% will have preferential access by the application of quotas, that is to say about 90% of Chilean agricultural exports to Japan will benefit. The products that will benefit the most are: meat, salmon, fishmeal, wine. For Japan, almost 90% of their exports to Chile will have a zero tariff after the implementation of the agreement. Japanese cars, will be the biggest winners, Chile imports over US$300 million every year. The fresh fruit industry disagrees with the GOC’s view on the FTA. They argue that this agreement benefits only partially the fruits and vegetable sector. As an example, tariff for table grapes will fall to zero in 15 years and for citrus, tariffs will be negotiated 5 years after the FTA implementation date.

Western Growers Back East

Here is the news release that describes the move by Western Growers to open a DC office on April 30.
From the release:

Western Growers Executive Vice President Matt McInerney will temporarily head the new office until full-time federal government affairs staff is hired. "Opening and staffing a Washington, D.C. office has been a long-term goal for Western Growers, our Board of Directors and members," said Tom Nassif, President and CEO of Western Growers. "Western Growers believes that it can best serve its members by having a full time Washington, D.C. presence to lobby on federal issues like the 2007 Farm Bill, immigration reform, specialty crop competitiveness and food safety."
"These are just a few of the federal issues that are extremely important to our membership and that require our full-time attention," said Steve Patricio, Western Growers Chairman of the Board. "The Board of Directors believes strongly that opening a Washington, D.C. office now is very timely because of the extremely critical federal legislative and regulatory matters pressing the fresh produce industry."
"The new full time federal government affairs staff will complement and enhance the current Western Growers' federal lobbying efforts of our long-time federal lobbying consultants, Bob Schramm, Schramm, Williams & Associates, and Julian Heron, Tuttle, Taylor and Heron," said Nassif. "To underscore the importance of opening the D.C. office, during the transition to a full time D.C. staff, both Jasper Hempel, WG's Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and I will spend more time in Washington, D.C. to assist Matt establish Western Growers' full-time presence in Congress and the many federal agencies with whom we work."

TK: This is an impressive investment by WG, and the current legislative and regulatory environment begs for grower input in DC. Keeping produce industry voices together - United, if you will - as big issues like the farm bill, immigration and food safety roll through Congress is paramount.

Real update from New Orleans

Rick here: Given the time of year and especially this holiday weekend, I thought it might be nice to provide some first hand on the ground news updates from New Orleans. We have an inside track there you know given that one of our members is located right in the city and has been serving as the emergency food provider there since the event hit over 18-months ago. Our member there is called Second Harvest of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana. We’ve actually had four members serving residents now on a regular basis including our members located in Baton Rouge, Theodore, AL and Beaumont, TX. America’s Second Harvest has provided more than $25M in food to these members to service unprecedented increases in food demand. Below is an update provided by Roger Hahn, Grant Writer for the food bank.

Roger: Things here in New Orleans and throughout the Louisiana Gulf Coast region just one-and-a-half years after Katrina’s landfall are probably both better and worse than the impression conveyed by the major news media. While large portions of metro New Orleans and parts of the westernmost coastal parishes remain pretty badly damaged, it seems clear that the spirit of most residents has begun to adjust to the blow that was dealt by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and is now firmly committed to rebuilding, however long it takes – and in the view of some professionals it could take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to fully restore the region.

Recent Census Bureau reports are pretty gloomy, too, reporting a five-percent drop in the state’s population between 2000 and 2006 (the largest since the internal U.S. migrations post-WWII) and a loss of 300,000 residents in greater New Orleans, reducing the metro population from 1.3 million to 1 million and lowering its national ranking from 38^th to 50^th. That having been said, we see nothing but increased need for emergency food supplies, a situation most food bankers will no doubt understand better than most – the population losses are mostly a reflection of social disruption, with commercial and nonprofit food-supply networks badly shredded.

Before Katrina, we distributed approximately 14.5 million pounds of food in a year; in just the six months after Katrina and Rita, with lots of help from A2H staffers, volunteers, the network, and suppliers, we distributed more than 40 million pounds of food. Our target this year is 25 million pounds and next year its 30 million pounds, but we’re estimating a real need for 40 million pounds year throughout the Gulf Coast region. Post-Katrina, we’ve opened a second warehouse operation in Lafayette and initiated a program to help rebuild our network of partner agencies (which digressed from 350 in number before the storms to fewer than 100 and is now back up to 150 and continuing to grow).

We’re also undertaking a comprehensive food-system survey across the region – it’s not just services and resources that are lacking down here right now, its information, too.

Oddly enough, in the midst of all this difficulty and even faced with a series of difficult challenges, it’s never seemed more important to do what we’re doing, and I think that feeling is shared by a lot of native and recent residents down here. There is among those who have remained are committed to living here and to sharing in the rebuilding of the region a general sense of commitment that seems more palpable than residents’ commitments to where they live in many other places, where conditions are not so challenging.

You could say it’s the best of times and the worst of times, but most of all it seems like an exciting time to be food banking at a time and in a place where it’s so badly needed.

RB: I asked Roger what was needed there at the food bank. He offered: “Absolutely food of any kind, especially fresh produce!” Interested parties may contact Ken Gravener, Procurement Manager at 504-729-2847 or email to kgravener@secondharvest.org naturally, financial donations are always needed and welcome. Please contact Terry Utterback at 504-729-2821 or email tutterback@secondharvest.org to make a donation of funds. You may contact Roger Hahn via email at RHahn@secondharvest.org or visit the food bank website at: http://www.no-hunger.org Rick Bella may be contacted at the National office at rbella@secondharvest.org or direct line: 312-641-6507.

PMA's survey

As usual, the Produce Marketing Association is out front with an important consumer survey relating to fresh produce. I will nitpick just a little. I think the purpose of the release is to frame the industry's commitment to food safety and its robust response to foodborne illness outbreaks. It does that, but in the process leaves a few holes in the statistics.

This is how the release begins:

American consumers continue to buy fresh produce at a steady rate and expect to buy even more in the future, according to results from a recent consumer survey sponsored by Produce Marketing Association (PMA).

TK: Not much of a news hook here. Steady compared with what, exactly?

This report indicates consumer confidence in the produce industry is beginning to re-bound after recent E. coli illness outbreaks involving leafy green produce. The national telephone survey in early March involved 1,000 primary shopper consumers and was conducted by Opinion Dynamics Corporation (ODC).
The survey report revealed that consumers report their overall fresh produce consumption remains steady, with 54 percent of respondents reporting their purchases are at the same level as last year and nearly one-fifth (19 percent) saying their purchases have increased over this same period.

TK: 54 and 19 is 73..what about the other 27%. Has that group decreased purchases compared with a year ago?

Moreover, 31 percent of consumers indicated they plan to increase their purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables in the coming year.

Encouraging Results
These results are encouraging for the produce industry, which recently suffered outbreaks of food-borne illness caused by E. coli O157:H7-tainted leafy greens. Surveyed consumers reported they remain concerned about the fresh produce supply following the outbreaks, with 36 percent of respondents expressing some overall concern about the safety of fresh leafy green produce and 51 percent of those respondents citing the outbreaks as the cause for their concern. Meanwhile, nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents said they had no "overall concerns" about fresh leafy green produce. Further, the survey revealed that consumers' overall confidence in the nation's fresh produce had not changed significantly in the recent months since the outbreaks.

TK: While constructed in neutral way, the fact that consumers' overall confidence in the nation's fresh produce had not changed significantly in the recent months is not a positive. We would hope to find greater confidence now than in November, and it shows there is plenty of work to do.


"The success of the produce industry depends upon our commitment to public health," said Bruce Taylor, PMA chairman-elect and Taylor Farms, Inc. chief executive officer. "We are passionate about the food our families grow and serve. The industry -- farmers, shippers, and processors -- are 100 percent committed to making sure that consumers have a safe, healthy, and enjoyable eating experience every bite, every time."
Surveyed consumers felt strongly that the produce industry should take the lead in ensuring the safety of the nation's fresh produce supply at 38% followed by federal/state regulators at 25%. Interestingly enough, consumers rated all equally at 28%.

TK: Not sure what they were all rated equally at- most responsible, or trustworthy...not sure what 28% refers to. But Bruce Taylor does a good job in providing the bottom line that success depends on commitment to public health.

Potential steps consumers cited to improve food safety include higher safety and sanitation standards, and better quality control.
"Our commitment to constant innovation in the way we grow, process, and ship produce is the reason why we have the safest food supply in the world," said Taylor. "The industry is investing millions of dollars and is working with government to improve existing systems to continue to reduce the risk of future outbreaks and better protect the public's health."
This year, PMA is allocating $2.75 million to support new produce safety efforts, including scientific research to close knowledge gaps about contamination sources and to develop preventive protocols and solutions. PMA and allied associations have been working together on a comprehensive food safety program that includes research, industry training and education, verification, and consumer education.

TK: PMA is putting major dollars into this issue and deserves much credit for standing in the gap at a critical time. The process of rebuilding public confidence will be slow. Making those dollars count for as long as possible will be key.