Dec. 15 - The value of dissent and Monday's top headlines

As the new Congress and the new Obama Administration draw closer, I understand that the "industry" is consulting via a task force or working group towards developing a specific consensus on elements of food safety reform that may be part of of various legislative approaches. I would assume that issues like traceability standards, FDA authority for recalls, preventive controls on farms, funding options for FDA and third party inspections are among the issues the industry will grapple with.

A unified position on these food safety issues would seem to make sense. In the first place, lawmakers will look to the industry for answers about FDA reforms because the industry has been in many ways the chief catalyst for change. After all, didn't the industry say that it wants more federal food safety oversight after the 2006 foodborne outbreak linked to spinach? And as lawmakers have since marveled, when does an industry ever ask for regulation?

There is value in consensus seeking, but there also may be good reason to reserve room for dissent when it comes to legislative/regulatory solutions. For every additional legislative burden that Congress wants to add to the fresh produce industry, there should be a voice raising an objection based on cost to industry and whether broad prescriptive regulations are appropriate for less "risky" commodities like citrus and apples, for example. An essential question: should the growers and marketers of all commodities bear the food safety costs and burdens that in reality seem to to disproportionately fall to only a few?

Yes, there will be food safety reforms passed in the next Congress. But it is too much to ask for the entire industry to arrive together and join hands to embrace legislative reform when the costs are not clearly defined. It is not enough to throw in caveats such as "risk-based" and "science-based" when advocating food safety reform. These terms are overused to the point of losing their meaning.

Let every reform and prescriptive solution stand or fail on its own merit, and let there be every opportunity for dissent from every corner for every new cost added.


Here is a roundup of headlines over the weekend:

Water shortage hitting California's central valley hard AP reports 5,000 jobs expected to be lost by summer, unemployment 40% in Mendota.


U.S. appetite for imports growing Food and Water Watch study; Mike Stuart of FFVA quoted

Make sure infrastructure spending well supported Just what kind of projects should Obama's infrastructure plan include? Author argues for litmus test based on prospective long term income effect.



Recession's silver lining Tough times forge tough people, so columnist says "bring it on."

Fed expected to cut rate But current slowdown is called the worst decline in consumer spending since 1942.

Fred Meyer sex harassment suit settled chain pays out nearly $485,000 in penalties to settle federal lawsuit


Why is FTC after Whole Foods? FTC should forget about case, one expert says.

Obama faces test over immigration Funding for E-verify could be first test in March, but economic issues also flavor immigration debate as recession sours U.S. economy.

UK specialty retail overview From USDA FAS

Russian outlays for agriculture From USDA FAS, a look toward government investment in ag in Russia

Sustainability labeling - a trend for 2009

Store brands lift grocers in troubled times From NYT Good stats here on the growth of store brands. Also discusses Kroger's model of store brands.

Packaged refrigerated fruit category growing Brandweek coverage

Wal-Mart's Scott on frozen Lee Scott talks about Wal-Mart moms on Meet the Press, stating frozen food purchases rising ...Small businesses are making more frequent trips to Sam's, using yesterday's cash flow to make purchases for tonight's business...

Economy and organic food From the AP story, market research from NPD Group said the number of people who reported buying organic in August fell 4% in August compared with a year earlier. August data was first decline since February 2006, story says.

Balancing food and play curriculum Teaches kids about fruits and veggies

China's reduced output affecting Chile, others Copper exports decline sharply to China, leading to unrest and layoffs in Chile