New PBH files in discussion group

Thanks to Elizabeth Pivonka of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, I posted a couple of important pdf files to the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group. One of the files is a 62-page pdf in the style of a powerpoint presentation giving the broad orientation to the campaign and why it is well positioned to make an impact. From the summary pages, it speak of the stars aligning for dietary change. They are:

•Strong Link: Fruits/Vegetables/Health
•Aging Population
•Obesity Epidemic
•Rising Health Care Costs
•Nat’l Nutrition Policy Supports F/V’s
•International Flavors
•Fruits & Veggies—More Matters®
•Industry/Public Health Alliance


TK: Another presentation from PBH that I have uploaded is a 25-page 2008 presentation on the brand launch and positioning of Fruits and veggies- More Matters. Thanks to Elizabeth for making these presentations available to the industry.

What about country of origin labeling?

In a conversation this morning, Chris Schlect of the Northwest Horticultural Council pointed to the increasing agitation of some in the trade about the mandatory country of origin labeling issue. If Congress can't come to grips with the farm bill in a timely fashion, what happens to plans for a more reasonable COOL statute in the new farm bill and orderly implementation of the law by September? Many questions remain. The last time I asked Jimmie Turner of AMS about the proposed fee on retailers for COOL implementation, he said the AMS would have no comment about the proposal, which was tucked into the fiscal year 2009 federal budget. The trade needs answers sooner rather than later. Unfortunately, there is no "rather than" left anymore.

No news is bad news

Talking to one Washington lobbyist this morning, he related there is still no breakthrough in farm bill discussions. He observed that Congress doesn't act until they are faced with losing vacation time, so a short term extension of the farm bill until Memorial Day may be in the cards. Trying to find $10 billion in offsets over 5 years in a $288 billion farm bill - how tough can it be? Tough enough, evidently.

By the way, readers can't seem to decide who to blame the farm bill mess on, with votes in the Fresh Talk poll (closing in mere minutes) evenly split between the White House and Congress.

Wal-Mart's blog - Check it out

Wal-Mart's "Check Out" blog authored by some of its own buyers is attracting media interest. From a story in the NYT:

Known for its strict, by-the-books culture — accepting a cup of coffee from a supplier can be a firing offense — Wal-Mart is now encouraging its merchants to speak frankly, even critically, about the products the chain carries.
This unusual new Web site, which was quietly created during the holiday shopping season, has become a forum for unvarnished rants about gadgets, raves about new video games and advice on selecting environmentally sustainable food.

TK: I will bring the RSS feed for the Wal-Mart blog into Fresh Talk. The site appears to be getting a good amount of traffic, as one would expect Here is a profile from one of the authors for the sustainability blog:

About Rand Waddoups

I am a senior director at Wal-Mart looking after the most exciting thing happening in business today, sustainability. Several months ago, I joined a small team dedicated to building sustainability into every part of Wal-Mart's business strategy. We are doing this by focusing on three big future goals: 1) to have zero waste, 2) to use 100% renewable energy, and 3) to bring more sustainable products to our customers. I fell in love with this work because I am a father, a husband, a believer in the business opportunity of sustainability, and an old boy scout who wants to leave it better than I found it.

Before working on sustainability, I spent many years as a buyer/category manager where I worked on all kinds of food products; from fresh brussel sprouts to flaming-hot cheese puffs. I really enjoy the opportunity to teach others the personal and financial benefits of sustainability. Accordingly, I want you to know what I have chosen as a Personal Sustainability Practice (PSP)---I compost and planted a garden; “What's your PSP?”