Fresh Produce Discussion Blog

Created by The Packer's National Editor Tom Karst

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Radanovich: humans over smelt

From the office of Rep. George Radanovich:


Congressman George Radanovich (R-Mariposa) today testified at the House Natural Resources Committee hearing entitled, “The California Drought: Actions by Federal and State agencies to address impacts on lands, fisheries, and water users.” The following are excerpts from Rep. Radanovich’s testimony. To read entire text of his speech, click here
“The real focus of this hearing should be the human impact this drought is having on the farmers, communities and way of life in the San Joaquin Valley. Water users, farmers, and cities in California are facing unprecedented water shortages and the devastating impacts are only growing. Simply put--entire towns are withering away.
“Because the 37,000 people loosing their jobs cannot be here to represent themselves, my California colleagues and I have to deliver their cries for help.
“I have with me a stack of hundreds of letters I’ve received from constituents detailing their cry for help, the impact this drought is having on their lives, and support to pass my bill, H.R. 856, the California Drought Alleviation Act, which would allow the Delta pumps to resume pumping vital water to the south.
“The federal government must stop passing laws and developing regulations that place the value of species above the value of people. The statements we make, through laws and regulations must convey the message that the lives of our constituents, their children and their livelihoods are more valuable than a 3 inch economically inconsequential fish.
“The draconian regulations that turn simple fish into the worshipful gods of the environmental community and ignore the inalienable rights of people have led us to conclude that Government does not work for us any more—we need the Government to protect the safety and happiness of people, not fish.”

PBH: families cutting back on fruits and veggies

From the inbox, news of a significant drop in consumption of fruits and veggies from PBH. Here is a taste of the release....more coming from Pamela R. of The Packer this afternoon:

As families cut back on purchases they are also cutting back on fruits and vegetables. An annual survey of Moms, conducted by Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH), the nonprofit entity behind the Fruits & Veggies-More Matters® national public health initiative, has found that although 60 percent of Moms continue to believe that their families eat too few fruits and vegetables, Moms are including less of them in meals and snacks. ........

DeLauro and Vilsack

From the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro today:


Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (CT-3), chairwoman of the House Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Subcommittee, delivered the following opening statement during a subcommittee hearing at which Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testified. DeLauro focused on the need to reform the agency to ensure it is fulfilling its mission and meeting the American people’s needs, including strengthening food safety, improving nutrition programs, renewing attention on rural America, and investing in energy reform.

Below is the text of DeLauro’s opening statement (as prepared for delivery).


The committee is called to order. Thank you and let me welcome everyone this morning, especially our witness Secretary Tom Vilsack.

I know this is your first opportunity to testify before Congress since being sworn in and I want to thank you for taking the time to be with us this morning, even as you continue to settle in and staff up.

Secretary Vilsack, I know you bring a lifetime of service and an impressive record on agricultural and nutrition issues to your new role. As Governor, you achieved a lot for family farmers, livestock producers and rural communities. Fighting hunger took center stage during your administration and you made rural development a real priority with the Iowa Values Fund. I know you are committed to protecting public health and building the framework for growth in small towns and communities across America. And I look forward to working with you and the many dedicated men and women at the USDA to make good on that commitment.

Of course, we also know that you are coming into a department desperate for reform. In recent years, the department has struggled to fulfill its own mission and meet the needs of the American people. Today, we have an opportunity to make the department a powerful force for good.

I believe we made an important first step by making critical investments with the Recovery package – $20.9 billion in nutrition programs and $1.2 billion for essential community facilities in rural areas such as health care, fire, rescue and public safety services, $3 billion for guaranteed loans to rural businesses and $340 million for watershed and flood prevention activities that are ready to begin work this year.

But we must go further, build on these resources, and commit to reforming the department on every front.

First, nutrition. This subcommittee has already held an oversight hearing this year on the reach and impact of USDA’s nutrition programs – the school lunch program in particular. And I know you and the president are committed to confronting childhood obesity. As we implement the Farm Bill and begin work on Childhood Nutrition Reauthorization, we have a real opportunity to make concrete improvements in the health and lives of America’s children.

I believe USDA should work to reduce barriers and increase resources for more direct connections between the demand and supply on the part of school food services and family farmers. More broadly, the department also has the opportunity to immediately improve resources to rural communities, open markets to local farmers and reduce health disparities in the process.

Second, food safety. Americans should be able to assume that the food they serve their children is safe to eat. Unfortunately – from peanuts to ground beef to peppers to imported seafood – and just yesterday, pistachios – we have seen one devastating case of widespread food borne illness after the next. President Obama has already made it clear: this is not acceptable. And I hope that his proposed Food Safety Working Group can begin to bring the serious reform we need.

I have long been concerned about USDA’s dual mission of promoting the products it is supposed to regulate. I believe this inherent conflict of interest at the agency has contributed to some of the food safety problems we have encountered over the years.

We must work to modernize the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in a way that emphasizes prevention not just reaction – and recognizes that as long as the threats from food borne pathogens are constantly evolving so too must are food safety system. To stay ahead, we must continue to prioritize certain key principles: categorizing facilities based on risk, establishing performance standards for food-borne pathogens, frequency of inspections, and reporting requirements for companies.

Third, Rural Development. For too long, the importance of the nonagricultural economy in rural communities has not been reflected in USDA priorities. Today, even farmers are not earning their primary living from agriculture; 80 percent of farm household income is derived off the farm. The department needs to rethink its mission and its priorities, giving just as much attention to rural development as it does production agriculture.

That means working to reach more vulnerable families and workers in rural areas, including small farmers, low-resource farmers and minority farmers and landowners. Also coordinating with Health and Human Services, Commerce, and Transportation. And investing in rural infrastructure including Broadband -- not only to connect rural areas to the global community, but also to generate growth in rural America. I know this is a priority for you and I will be there fighting for it, right by your side.

Finally, Energy. Secretary Vilsack, I know you will continue working to ensure agriculture is an integral part of our push to make renewable energy affordable and accessible. On this critical issue we must prioritize research and conservation to find the right balance between our need to move to energy independence and minimizing the impact on the environment. While at the same time, we need to closely monitor the impact of increased mandates for biofuels on the environment and food prices.

Each of these issues – Nutrition, Food Safety, Rural Development, Energy – they are a priority for this subcommittee – and they are ripe for reform within the US Department of Agriculture.

Secretary Vilsack I have confidence in your leadership of the department and your ability to bring the change it needs. I am glad we have you at the helm and I look forward to collaborating with you in the months and years ahead.

This is our opportunity to get the big things right for the American people – to make real changes that will affect their health and safety their quality of life and economic livelihood.

With that, I will ask Ranking Member Mr. Kingston if he would like to make an opening statement.

FDA and pistachios: Salmonella again?

From the FDA, this report about pistachios. Particularly note this sentence:

FDA is working closely with the pistachio industry and recommends that consumers avoid eating pistachio products until further information is available about the scope of affected products

From the release:

The FDA and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) are investigating Salmonella contamination in pistachio products sold by Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc, Calif. The company has stopped all distribution of processed pistachios and will issue a voluntary recall involving approximately 1 million pounds of its products. Because the pistachios were used as ingredients in a variety of foods, it is likely this recall will impact many products. In addition, the investigation at the company is ongoing and may lead to additional pistachio product recalls.
The contamination involves multiple strains of Salmonella. Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Thus far, several illnesses have been reported by consumers that may be associated with the pistachios. It is not yet known whether any of the Salmonella strains found in the pistachio products are linked to an outbreak. The FDA is conducting genetic testing of the samples to pursue all links.
FDA is working closely with the pistachio industry and recommends that consumers avoid eating pistachio products until further information is available about the scope of affected products.
FDA will provide a searchable database of affected products at
www.fda.gov and will continue to update the public.
FDA first learned of the problem on March 24, when it was informed by Kraft Foods that its Back To Nature Trail Mix was found to be contaminated with Salmonella. Kraft had identified the source of the contamination to be pistachios from Setton and conducted a recall.

Ag Prices - Up in March

From the USDA Ag Prices Report:

The preliminary All Farm Products Index of Prices Received by Farmers inMarch, at 126 percent, based on 1990-92=100, was unchanged from February.The Crop Index is up 1 point (0.7 percent) but the Livestock Index decreased1 point (0.9 percent). Producers received higher prices for corn, lettuce,snap beans, and tomatoes and lower prices for broilers, soybeans,strawberries, and celery. In addition to prices, the overall index is alsoaffected by the seasonal change based on a 3-year average mix of commoditiesproducers sell. Increased monthly marketings of strawberries, broilers,soybeans, and milk offset decreased marketings of cattle, corn, cotton, andoranges.
The preliminary All Farm Products Index is down 20 points (14 percent) fromMarch 2008. The Food Commodities Index, at 121, decreased 1 point(0.8 percent) from last month and decreased 23 points (16 percent) fromMarch 2008.



Fruits & Nuts: The March index, at 124, is up 2.5 percent from February but16 percent lower than a year ago. The increase in marketings of strawberriesmore than offset price decreases for strawberries, apples, oranges, andgrapefruit.
Commercial Vegetables: The March index, at 146, is up 7.4 percent from lastmonth and 9.0 percent above March 2008. Price increases during March forlettuce, snap beans, tomatoes, and sweet corn more than offset price declinesfor celery, onions, and broccoli.
Potatoes & Dry Beans: The March index, at 155, is up 1.3 percent from lastmonth and 5.4 percent above March 2008. The all potato price, at $9.07 percwt, is up 20 cents from February and 70 cents from last March. The all drybean price, at $28.80 per cwt, is down $1.30 from the previous month and$3.40 below March 2008.



Monday, March 30, 2009

For what goes the SNAP stimulus and other provocations

"Federal stimulus money is providing food stamp recipients more money to spend -- on french fries or fresh veggies?"
 
That was the subhead of this story in citylimits.org by Nevin Cohen. It's all for a good cause - fruits and vegetables - though Cohen determinedly favors local produce. From the piece:
 
 
 
Now's the time to redouble our efforts to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, which not only improves the nutritional status of low-income families who suffer disproportionately from diet-related diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease – but also supports local farmers throughout the region, helps to sustain agricultural communities, and protects ecologically sensitive areas (like NYC's own Catskill watershed) from harmful development
 
Later....
 
 
As we look to the next round of stimulus funding, one critical bricks-and-mortar project would make a huge improvement to our food system. A wholesale farmers market located adjacent to the city's existing produce market in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx would make it dramatically more profitable for midsize farmers to sell their fresh products in New York. By one estimate, the market would enable some 250 farmers to distribute their products in the city, making it economically viable for grocery stores, schools, hospitals and restaurants to buy a reliable supply of local food. :
 
 
More headlines snatched from the Web:
 
 
The Department of Transportation should have legislation drafted to allow Mexican trucks to operate in the United States by the time President Obama visits Mexico on April 16 and 17, according to a department spokesman.The administration has called on DOT, the State Department and the U.S. Trade Representative to devise a plan to continue cross-border trucking after Congress on March 11 terminated a pilot program in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill.
 
Coming from countries as far apart as Honduras and Malawi, these 'land-to-mouth' farmers use organic farming methods, which have been finely tuned by centuries of reliance on the land for survival," writes the UK-based development charity Progressio. "Their tips are being launched as 100,000 credit-crunched Britons queue up for allotments, vegetable plots are created in many more of our 15 million gardens, and sales of fruit and veg seeds have jumped by 28 percent."
 
 
 

Try some or all of the following strategies for increasing your fruit and vegetable intake.  Remember, fresh, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables all count.

  • -Drink a frozen fruit smoothie for breakfast
  • -Keep a vegetable platter on hand
  • -Add vegetables and legumes to favorite soups
  • -Add fresh fruit as a topping to cereal and yogurt
  • -Opt for an all vegetable lunch
  • -Top salads with legumes
  • -Choose a rainbow of colorful produce
Gates Foundation to fund ag research Puget Sound Business Journal

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Science Foundation will pay $48 million over the next five years to fund research and solve critical agricultural challenges around the world.The program, called BREAD — Basic Research to Enable Agricultural Development — will make competitive awards to research projects addressing drought, pests, disease and other problems plaguing small farmers who rely on their crops as the source of their income and food, according to an announcement.Gates and the NSF will split in half the cost of the program.

Rabobank buys ag loans Reuters

Rabobank Group said on Monday it will buy $354 million in U.S. agricultural loans from the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation in a bid to extend its reach into what remains a relatively healthy segment of the U.S. economy

Ag chemical industry shudders at organic White House garden Examiner.com

Climate change experts call nations to commit to action Guardian

The draft G20 communique leaked at the weekend makes only the smallest reference to climate change, and appears to be vague on the subject of how green the $2tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package agreed by world leaders should be. This provoked the eminent climatologist James Hansen, director of Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies, to tell the Guardian: "If this is the best they can do, then their 'planet in peril' rhetoric is probably just that - empty rhetoric

Grain prices plummet under weight of planting forecast Bloomberg

U.S. farmers are preparing to plant record amounts of soybeans and demand for corn is falling, driving prices to the lowest levels in more than two years.
 
 
A new survey from the National Gardening Association found a 19% increase in the number of Americans who plan to plant a garden this year -- and 21% of them will be brand new to gardening. Last year, 31% -- or an estimated 36 million households -- had a garden, and 10% of them say they plan to devote more time to it this year. While the recession is clearly the main driver -- with 62% of gardeners saying the recession is motivating them -- there are other factors at work. About 58% say they just want better-tasting food, 54% want to lower food bills, 51% want better-quality food, and 48% want to know that their produce is safe.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Opponents will say — as they have many times in the past — that finally putting a price on the pollution that is a primary cause of climate change will wreck our economy. But that is a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation we face. After more than a century of relying on fossil fuels as the leading driver of economic growth, it's time to change course.
 

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AFBF: Adopt existing regs for H2A

From the inbox this afternoon, more unrest over the Administration's pullback on H2A reform put forward in December:


WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2009—The American Farm Bureau Federation opposes changes to the H-2A temporary worker program proposed by the Labor Department and urges the department to implement the existing regulations that were promulgated Dec. 18 and became effective Jan. 17.

In a letter sent Friday to Thomas Dowd, administrator of DOL’s Office of Policy Development and Research Employment and Training Administration, AFBF said. “We have heard nothing but opposition from growers in reaction to changes proposed by the Department.” AFBF said the DOL proposal will directly and immediately harm many farmers.

“The H-2A rules that the Labor Department wants to put on hold made several improvements in the program. Farm Bureau is disappointed that the department wants to suspend these rules that allow U.S. agriculture to legally hire much-needed temporary workers,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.

Stallman said the sudden change in policy also is creating confusion for many farmers who have spent time learning the new rules, have already filled out applications and may well have contracts signed based on the provisions.

“The existing regulations that DOL proposes suspending for nine months cut red tape and make it easier to hire temporary workers,” Stallman said.

“One of the rules that DOL wants to suspend assures farmers that wages required under the program would be closer to those actually being paid in the economy and that workers referred by state workforce agencies were authorized for employment in the U.S.,” Stallman said. “Doing away with this rule will clearly hurt a farmer’s bottom line during extremely difficult economic times.”

The AFBF letter also emphasized that DOL did not provide enough time for public comment when it published the proposed rule in the Federal Register March 17 and gave only 10 days for interested parties to submit comments. Customary procedures normally allow at least 30 days for public comment. The shorter comment period did not provide AFBF sufficient time to reach out to its members and seek feedback.

Click this link to access the AFBF letter to Administrator Dowd:
http://www.fb.org/newsroom/nr/nr2009/03-30-09/labor-h2a09_0326.pdf

Tweet falls flat

Not much of a response to the Fresh Talk poll about Twitter this week. Here are the results for one week poll ending March 30, 2009.


Do you have, or have you ever considered, starting a "twitter" account?

Yes 6 (54%)
No 5 (45%)

Votes so far: 11 Poll closed


However, here are two thoughtful responses from the Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Group (linkedin)

From Joe Garcia:

Twitter is a good addition to other online marketing tools (social networking sites, blogs, etc). I have to admit that I'm still trying to figure out how to best use it...I'm just not that cool yet I guess! Micro-blogging one's ongoing life (hour-by-hour) seems a bit odd to me but the power (and potential) of the technology is undeniable. Would love to hear how others have used Twitter to promote their small business.


From Margie Way:

I am a fresh produce industry recruiter and I am on Twitter a lot. Twitter differs from a blog in that people will usually not follow someone who's goal is to sell or market goods. Now if an executive in a company is on Twitter discussing his day to day stuggles in creating a new product, the community may follow to see what happens next, then at the product release go buy it! Twitter is a site to get a peek into the lives of others. Check out Jim Gaffigan's site - he's marketing his Comedy Show on March 29th. He's funny in the way he talks about it all and he is 'way over the top' in his promotion of it yet a lot of people are following because he's hilarious! Yet I've watched others try to sell items and lose followers right away.


TK: Be sure both to join the two Fresh Produce Industry Discussion Groups linked to this blog, one on google for longer posts and file sharing and the rapidly growing networking/discussion group at linkedin.

Kansas City produce promotions - April 1 to April 7

Here are images of food pages from the suburban Kansas City market for the week of April 1 to April 7. Represented are Price Chopper, HyVee and Hen House.






National Retail Report - March 27

From the USDA's National Retail report:


Retailers this week highlighted items for March Madness basketball tournaments and were looking forward to Lent and Easter. Several large retailers were running “10 for $10”, “Buy 10 get $5 off”, “2 for $” or “5 for $5” generally with store brand items. Cabbage, post-St. Patrick’s Day, suffered a big fall in the number of stores on ad, from over 12,000 to less than 1,500 stores this week. Fruit and vegetable ads were pretty evenly split as a percentage of overall produce ads. Grapes and strawberries remained at the number 1 and number 2 spots. Cantaloupes and tomatoes on the vine pushed asparagus out of the Top 5 ranking for produce ads for the week.




Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook - USDA

The latest USDA ERS Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook has been released and can be found here. From the report, notes about oranges and grapefruit:


The smaller crop of fresh oranges out of California this season boosted the average price growers received November 2008 through February 2009 over the same time last season. Weak demand for oranges for processing has driven down Florida’s processing-orange grower prices this season. U.S grapefruit production is forecast at 1.4 million tons this season, 13 percent below last season and 16 percent below 2006/07. Despite the smaller crop this season, grower prices for fresh grapefruit have been running behind the past several seasons.


On mandarins and clementines....


The 2008 California Citrus Acreage Report shows the State’s bearing acreage for tangerines more than doubled between 2005 and 2008. The number of nonbearing acres planted to tangerines is second only to navel oranges among the State’s citrus acreage. About a third of the acreage is in Kern County, followed by Tulare County. The W. Murcott mandarin variety still has the most acreage of all the tangerine varieties. It appears to remain a very popular variety because it also has the biggest number of nonbearing acres. Various clementine varieties account for the second biggest number of acres, followed by the Minneola, which is a tangelo.



On strawberries...


Forecast bigger acreage in major strawberry-producing States will help boost domestic production, likely surpassing the record-large crop of 2.5 billion pounds produced last year. In January, NASS had forecast 2009 combined strawberry planted acreage in California, Florida, and Oregon to increase by 2,800 acres from a year ago, totaling 48,500 acres. Acreage increased for all three States, with California having the largest additional production area, increasing by 2,300 acres. The forecasts also show Florida with 400 more acres inproduction and Oregon having an additional 100 acres.


On avocados.....


U.S. fresh avocado imports have been increasing consecutively over the last seven years, reaching a record 694.0 million pounds in 2007/08. In 2006/07 and 2007/08, imports made up 65 to 75 percent of all the avocados for domestic fresh-market consumption. As in the two previous marketing seasons, imports will again play a dominant role in meeting avocado demand in the United States in 2008/09. With yet another large crop expected for this year, Mexico will likely fill in for most of the slack in U.S. supplies. Imports from Chile have increasingly faced competition with Mexico in the U.S. market over the last few years, with its share of U.S. import volume declining from over 60 percent during the early 2000s to 21 percent in 2007/08. According to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Mexican Hass avocado production is forecast to increase to a record 1.15 million metric tons, up 13 percent
from 2007/08. With this level of production, Mexico is forecast to increase avocado exports 6 percent, to a record 320 million metric tons. Most of these exports will be bound for the U.S. market.



On bananas and other imports.....


As the No. 1 fresh fruit import, banana shipments dominate overall U.S. fresh fruit imports. Due to adverse weather in Costa Rica and Panama, two of the major sources of bananas for the U.S. market, shipments this January were down 8 percent from last January (table 15). Heavy flooding in November damaged plantations in both countries, reducing supplies. Costa Rica also experienced an earthquake in January, bringing more damage to its banana industry. Banana supplies were tight throughout much of 2008, and are likely to remain so through at least early 2009. As a result, American consumers can expect to continue to pay higher than average prices over the next few months. Shipments of Spanish clementines and Chilean grapes were up this season due to good crops in the respective countries. During the winter months, all the grapes in the U.S. grocery stores are from the Southern Hemisphere, mostly from Chile. As a result of the increased quantity of grapes imported into the United States from November through March, consumers paid less at retail throughout much of the import season. Spanish clementines compete in the U.S. markets with fresh navel oranges, and tangerines and mandarins—including California clementines. California’s clementine production has grown in recent years, increasing market availability of the fruit. Retail prices for clementines were lower this January and February than last year, according to AMS retail price data, largely due to the increase in the quantity of Spanish and California clementines in U.S. markets.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

You are the 96,449th visitor and other thoughts

The blog will soon reach a notable milestone in the next month. That's right - 100,000 visitors. Sitemeter stats show that,as of Sunday night at 8:49 p.m., Fresh Talk has had 96,448 visitors since early 2007. Nothing lasts forever, and the form and address of this blog may change at some time in the future, with a coming redesign of The Packer Web site. For now, keeping coming here and the sitemeter stats will keep on clicking. Who knows, you may be the lucky 100,000th visitor. That and $3.49 will buy you a latte at Starbuck's.

Headlines snatched from the Web:

Families sow seeds of change with home gardens Indynews

Victory gardens or recession gardens still save TimesBulletin.com

Fresh vegetables and fruits were in short supply since transportation and the work force were affected by the war. So, encouraged by the government, people planted gardens everywhere there was a plot of ground available. Fruit production was also encouraged. The gardens supplied all the vegetables a family needed, and with preservation, also provided good meals during the winter. It was said that in 1943 over 315,000 pressure canners were sold to preserve fruits, vegetables and meats. This compared to 66,000 sold in 1942.

Obama garden: Farm Bureau chimes in Examiner.com

For American agriculture, the new White House garden offers a great teaching moment. Farm Bureau sees the garden as just one more way to engage the public about what goes into producing food. American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman is hopeful that other families across our nation will join the Obama family and plant their own gardens this spring.“It’s a great way to discover what it takes to produce food and learn about the growing cycle, from preparing the seed to tending the weeds and pests, and with hard work, a bountiful harvest,” Stallman, a Texas rice farmer and cattle producer, said this week. “Home gardens are a great way to complement production agriculture that Farm Bureau members devote their lives to.”

Growers get tax break if they destroy derelict groves TBO

If producing groves are maintained, they are taxed at a lower rate - as agriculture lands, said McIntyre.If the grove is not maintained and picked, but the landowner destroys the trees, the land will be assessed at $50 per acre. At the current millage rate, they'll pay 75 cents per acre.
If the grove bought for development purposes is not maintained and it's worth, for instance, $50,000 per acre, the owner would pay $750 per acre, McIntyre said.

Ag agents wage war on pests, plants and disease NJ.com


Smuggling is often inadvertent and cyclical. That is why Newark ran operation "Lunar Eclipse" during the Chinese New Year. "It is a time when, traditionally, gifts of food are exchanged," said Chinese-born agricultural agent Albert Lew. "I understand because it is also part of my culture, but it is forbidden." Focusing on 7,500 passengers off flights from China, agents seized 900 pounds of undeclared, prohibited products, according to customs. They included live ducks, dragon fruit and Chinese chocolates known to contain a small amount of beef. More than 150 fines totaling $36,000 were issued.

Sales of organic food slump by as much as 30 percent The Independent (UK)


Demand for organic food has fallen faster than expected, according to new statistics about shoppers' habits. Consumers who were once prepared to pay a premium for organic produce are turning to cheaper alternatives, cutting sales by a fifth in the past year.
Although some decline was anticipated because of the recession, figures from the market research company TNS Worldpanel show that some foods have been hit hard within an overall 20 per cent drop in sales: organic bread has fallen by 31 per cent; fruit by 16.5 per cent and vegetables by 10 per cent. The company monitored the shopping habits of 25,000 households in the UK from February 2008 to February 2009.
Several of the big supermarkets confirm that some sales of organic produce have declined over this period. The Co-op said that organic meat fell by 12.5 per cent, and that sales as a whole had begun to decline since September. Tesco said: "Recently organics have declined slightly."


Mexican trade dispute threatens Washington agriculture Bellingham Herald

Washington's pear, cherry, apricot and Christmas tree growers find themselves in the middle of a trade clash not of their own making and facing 20 percent tariffs on their exports to Mexico.

U.S. retail numbers ugly Barbara's retail blog

The layoff, store closing, and Chapter 11 numbers from the U.S. retail industry this week gave consumers and analysts a clear signal that further recession in the retail sector is possible and likely, but store opening numbers gave an equally clear signal that a comeback is underway. The ups and downs in this week’s retail industry news demonstrate the clash that can occur in one sector of the economy when recession collides with recovery.

Buy local, vote conservative Boston.com..Story from the UK

American Republicans, who have struggled with irrelevance after November's Democratic landslide, have been casting jealous glances at the successes of British Conservatives under leader David Cameron, who carries a double-digit lead in polling and is expected to carry his party to victory in the next general election. Cameron has gained a reputation as almost Obamaesque - a youthful, pragmatic modernizer with a knack for seizing issues from the opposition, such as the environment and civil liberties. His party's rejuvenated localism offers a fresh take on a longtime challenge for conservatives: how to balance their probusiness stance with their innate reverence for tradition.

NAFTA, Mexico trucking and air quality Examiner.com

The program failed. Even though the major truck engine manufactures say they manufacture one engine platform worldwide to U.S. emission standards they don't. Mexico's truck technology is decades behind the U.S. due to economics. While we can cite union influence, drug traffic, money laundaring, gun trade and other intangibles, air quality impacts, based on science is the real reason why the NAFTA provision to allow Mexico trucks to operate beyond the 100 mile border area is based on good science I first proved seven years ago. The U.S. will win in the NAFTA court case to follow because it is based on sound technical science

Georgia nears tougher law on illegal workers AJC

The measure would require local governments, state agencies and companies that do public business to show they are using federal databases to make sure they don’t hire illegal workers or provide them with public benefits. If they don’t, local governments would face cuts in state road funding and other penalties, and companies could have contracts revoked.

Will NAFTA exterminate Canada's pesticide bans CTV.ca

A battle brewing over cosmetic pesticides between one of North America's biggest chemical companies and Canadian lawmakers may end up re-shaping the future of Canada's environmental policies in the years ahead.
Next month, Onatario is set to become the second province in the country (after Quebec) to ban the sale and use of most off-the-shelf cosmetic pesticides.

Delay in immigration raids may signal policy change Washington Post

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has delayed a series of proposed immigration raids and other enforcement actions at U.S. workplaces in recent weeks, asking agents in her department to apply more scrutiny to the selection and investigation of targets as well as the timing of raids, federal officials said.
A senior department official said the delays signal a pending change in whom agents at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement choose to prosecute -- increasing the focus on businesses and executives instead of ordinary workers.

The future of Japan's rice farmers NYT


OOIDA seeks suspension of Mexico truck plan Transport Topics Online

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which said it represents 160,000 small business truckers, sent a letter contending that the Mexican government should raise its regulatory standards to equal that of the United States and Canada before its motor carriers are allowed full access to U.S. highways.

California housing may have a new floor LA Times

Illegal immigrants part of stimulus debate OC Register
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Builders and Contractors are legally challenging a law that would require employers who do business with the federal government to use E-Verify. The program is scheduled to take effect May 21, but could be postponed because of the legal wrangling.Even if the law were to take effect, E-Verify would remain optional for state and local governments – many of which will chose contractors and subcontractors who will then hire their own workers for the stimulus projects.
As it stands now, employers are required to follow local, state and federal labor laws and hire legal workers, but only E-Verify requires the checking of social security numbers.

Roubini: Bear market rally Money News.com

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Saying goodbye to vitamins and other thoughts

You probably have parents or grandparents who amaze you with the variety and type of pills they ingest at each meal. How simple life is - excluding issues such as paying bills, taxes and keeping up with the mortgage - to sit down to eat and only have to attend to food and drink. No vitamins, cholesterol/high blood pressure meds,etc. This well-reasoned piece from Beverly Hills speaks to his waning devotion to vitamins and increased attention to f/v  in his daily routine. From American Chronicle:and Terry Mitchell:
 
After 20 years of taking vitamins and other over-the-counter supplements, and after being an advocate for them for almost as long, I have come to the conclusion that they have all been a waste of time and money. Therefore, once my current supplies run out, I will not be replacing them. Instead, I will take the money that I have been spending on them and use it to buy more fruits and vegetables.

Too many recent studies have shown that taking vitamins in the form of pills is of no benefit whatsoever. And there seems to be some anecdotal evidence that such products might even be harmful. Apparently, the human body just doesn´t absorb vitamins when they are taken that way. The way to get the vitamins one needs is to eat more fruits and vegetables. That´s the way nature apparently intended for us to acquire our vitamins and other nutrition.
TK: He points out that vitamin makers have their own studies:that tout their benefits:
But who are you going to believe, impartial scientific studies or those conducted by corporations who have everything to gain from a particular outcome? Obviously, each individual has to make his or her own decision regarding vitamins and supplements, and I´m in no way trying to tell anyone else what to do. I´m just saying that I´m basing my decision on the available science.
 
 
Other headlines this morning...
 
 
Paint your plate  A f/v promotion in Canada
 
Hefty bag to keep fresh produce longer  Business Wire press release
Pactiv Corporation, maker of Hefty(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) brand products, today announced the introduction of new Hefty(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) OneZip(R: 28.26, -1.5492, -5.2%) Fresh Extend(TM: 65.48, -1.55, -2.31%) produce storage bags designed to help keep fruits and vegetables fresher longer. These bags offer an easy and ideal solution for storing fruits and vegetables that can help to prevent premature spoilage. Consumers can keep produce fresher longer, which can help them save money. Simply place the unwashed, uncut, dry produce in the bag and slide the bag closed - it's that easy!
 
 
 
Students DSL team bring produce stand to campus MIT News - TK:Good idea from MIT -
 

A cooperative effort between students and Division of Student Life is bearing fruit in the form of a campus produce stand that will open for business beginning Tuesday, March 31.The MIT Market will sell fruits and vegetables from noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays in the East Campus Courtyard near Walker Memorial. The stand will be run by Russo's, the Watertown-based retailer that won the "Best Produce" category in Boston magazine's 2007 Best of Boston rankings

Officials tallied nearly 1,500 individual cases investigated in 2007, and pesticides were identified as likely or possibly involved in fewer that 1,000 of them. That was more than double the nearly 700 investigations reported the year before, of which about 300 likely or possibly involved pesticides.Individuals with access to the Internet can more easily access and analyze pesticide illness and injuries in California, as the Pesticide Regulation agency rolled out a new online database. Called the California Pesticide Illness Query, it is accessible through the agency's home page at www.cdpr.ca.gov.

 
 
Ten strategies to eat more vegetables and fruits St. Louis Chinese American News
 
 
Bring dirt to the people, says health advocate
 
 
 
Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary started serving healthy snacks on March 9, as part of a grant the school was awarded. The grant totals $38,052 and is part of the 2008 Farm Bill. When asked how he likes having fresh fruit and vegetables for an afternoon snack at school, first-grader Lucas Hinojos replied — in between bites of fresh asparagus — "I love it! Here, try some
 
 
The Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association and their grower members are working with the state's grocery stores and restaurants to highlight the benefits of buying Wisconsin-grown produce. WPVGA Director Duane Maatz says the best foods are homegrown--and that is especially true of Wisconsin Potatoes that carry the Wisconsin Home Grown label.
 

After waiting nearly 20 years to see a vegetable garden planted at the White House, Alice Waters is waiting again.But this time it's to see how many Americans will follow the lead of first lady Michelle Obama, who last week made Waters' wish a reality when she dug a shovel into the South Lawn of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to make way for a garden."The most important thing that Michelle Obama did was to say that food comes from the land," Waters said of the garden groundbreaking. "People have not known that. They think it comes from the grocery store."Waters, a California restaurateur who has championed local and sustainable agriculture since the '60s, believes many health and social woes are tied to what she calls our fast food culture.Her solution? Backyard and school yard gardens that reconnect people with food at its source. Since the early '90s Waters has sought such a garden at the White House, believing it a gesture so strong it could move people nationwide to sow their own plots.

 
 
First Lady Michelle Obama broke ground last week on the South Lawn in preparation for the White House's first vegetable garden since First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt's 1943 Victory Garden. Coined a 'Recession Garden' by the media, the First Family's veggie garden is meant to teach American families about the health benefits and economic impact associated with eating locally grown fruits and vegetabl
Community supported farms flourish Democrat and Chronicle.com
 
 
 
 
Fruits and vegs: too much of a good thing? Viet Nam News Serivce: This goes against the grain...
 

A lot of the fruit that is grown today is much higher in sugar than it would be in the natural environment. Have you ever tasted a wild blueberry? How about a wild apple? On their own, they are delicious, but they aren't nearly as sweet as modern day varieties. Over thousands of years, humans have cultivated fruit to be larger and sweeter than its wild predecessors through hybridisation.But since sugar from fruit is natural, you should be able to eat as much as you want, right? This question is best posed to fruitarians – people who eat nothing but fruit, including nuts and seed-bearing fruits like tomatoes and zucchini.Nguyen Thu Hao, who works at an insurance company, has experienced the bad side of being a fruitarian

 

Right outside my kitchen window, across the driveway from our home, lies a 25 ft. by 40 ft. testament to my good intentions and poor follow-though. It's the outline of our family garden.
 
 

According to a recent survey, 80 percent of moms would like to get their kids to eat healthier. Families juggle busy schedules that make it difficult to eat together and don't leave enough time to shop or cook. The survey, commissioned by Wendy's, found that nearly 40 percent of moms surveyed feel that healthy foods don't always taste good. For others, the challenge is having a family that doesn't want to eat healthy foods or is on a limited food budget.

 
 
 
According to the National Gardening Association, the number of families growing their own produce will jump more than 40 percent compared to two years ago, the biggest spike in 30 years, 6News' Tanya Spencer reported.
 
 
 
 

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Thomas Wickham: New rules are step in right direction

Another comment to the U.S. Department of Labor on the topic of H2A.


To: US Department of Labor

From: Thomas Wickham

Date: Mar 23 2009

Re.: Comments re New Rules for H2A farmworker visas

I responding to the new rules for H2A farmworker accreditation within the ten-day comment period ending March 29 2009.

My family and I own and have operated for many years a 200-a fruit and vegetable farm on Eastern Long Island, NY. I have employed four H2A visa holders for the last two years and have been approved for three in 2009. I am also an elected Town Councilman and former Town Supervisor in the Town of Southold, and formerly worked as an agricultural scientist in some of the countries supplying H2A employees.

In principle any rule changes made in the last days of an outgoing administration are deeply suspect and should be carefully scrutinized. The changes made in December 2008 that took effect Jan 2009, however, are modest, and they preserve the twin goals of the program to (1) provide a limited and legal source of agricultural labor that (2) provides every opportunity for American citizens to hold those jobs with no adverse discrimination. The changes enacted in December (the new rules) also put the program on a more workable basis without sacrificing the goals of the program.

Specifically there are four provisions in the new rules that should not be suspended:

1. Provides for new minimum wage rates. The old rules call for an Adverse Wage Rate of $9.70 per hr applied broadly. Because I have a relatively intensive agricultural business and hard-working employees I have stepped up to that rate, at significant cost. Farm owners in SW Virginia, for example, and many other areas really cannot absorb that hit. There is no confidence how this rate was established; even USDOL Wage & Hour officials are unable to justify it. A new, transparent, statistics-based calculation linked to local conditions is clearly called for. The new rules were a step in this direction.

2. Application of the Adverse Wage Rate to non-H2A workers. The H2A program requires employers to pay all employees -- H2A and non-H2A American citizens -- the same $9.70/hr Adverse Wage Rate for comparable work descriptions. This provision actually discourages employers from hiring some US workers, particularly high-school or college students during summer vacation, because some of them are not experienced or highly productive farmworkers. But farms like mine need a range of American workers, and to hire them employers need to have discretion to set individual wage rates that reflect productivity and experience. The new rules retain the principle of wage parity for all employees hired after the H2A contract period starts, but allow for a lower wage for Americans hired prior to the contract. This is a significant improvement.

- 2 -

3. Provides for a shorter time frame for an American worker to bump an H2A. Under the H2A program employers are required to hire American workers who express interest in the positions advertised in the H2A job order. This obligation does not end when an H2A employee arrives and begins his contract; under the old rules (to be effective again if the new ones are suspended) employers must hire any American who applies anytime during the first half of their H2A contracts, i.e., even as late as July for most seasonal operations. Because we must provide housing and all perquisites to the American worker equal to those of the H2A, it effectively means letting the H2A employee go in favor of the American. The new rules keep this provision but shorten the period employers are required to hire the American to the first 30 days of the contract, not the first half of the contract. This maintains the principle but makes for a program with less uncertainty and risk for the employer. It also reduces the possibility of poorly qualified Americans automatically and irreversibly eliminating better qualified H2A employees from their jobs up to the middle of the season.


4. Provides for registering different classes of expediters. There are indications that a small industry of expediters is developing to help employers and employees navigate the H2A process. The original rule deals clearly with labor contractors but experience has shown that there are entities and people providing services that fall outside the definition of labor contractors, and those people and practices need to be regulated too. The new rules provide for a means of listing such people and delisting them when warranted. To suspend these rules will increase the risk of abuse by some of these expediters.


I was glad to read Secretary Solis' acknowledgment of the need for reform of the H2A process in her recent comments. I believe the four provisions listed above are small but positive steps in that direction.

In conclusion, a workable H2A program is a small but extremely important component of overall immigration policy in this country. To be workable the program must be administered openly in a facts-based manner that employers, prospective employees (both American and foreign) find fair and relatively straightforward. Such a program could be a significant part of larger immigration issues. The new rules are a step in this direction.



cc. Sen C.Schumer, K.Gillibrand, Rep T.Bishop

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Bob Stuart: growers need relief

Comment from Bob Stuart of Stuart Fruit Farm in Idaho the federal docket on the rollback of H-2A reforms:


This country must be able to produce the food that the consumers need. Each year the USA loses more farms and more fruit and produce is imported. If you roll back the changes to the h2-a system, more farms will go out of business and more food will be imported from Chile,China ect..Why is h2a the only visa program that has a wage that is inflated each by the fed gov't? why is the AWER made by USDA and not The bureau of labor statistics like other visa programs? It is not 1970; farms today compete in a global market and profit margins-if there are any profits- are razor thin. If h2-a is made too expensive to use, fruit farmers will have no alternative but to close the gates of the farm. americans stopped working in farm jobs 30 years ago. someone laidoff by IBM will not want to replace a high tech job with a farm labor position. Keep the New BLS wage, it is more fair for workers. A worker with higher skills gets paid more than a worker with limited skills.how is this not fair?

Friday, March 27, 2009

Cornucopia Institute: Sounding the alarm

The Cornucopia Institute is happy with legislation that would impose food safety rules on "corporate agribusiness," but isn't sold on the prospect for organic and small farms. Read on.. From the inbox today, an action alert from Cornucopia:


The blogosphere has sounded the alarm warning that Congress and agribusiness and biotechnology lobbyists are conspiring to pass legislation that will force organic and local farms, and even home gardeners, out of business. What are the threats and opportunities, and how should we gear up to communicate with our congressional representatives?


A Food Safety System That Is Out Of Control
There is no question that our increasingly industrialized and concentrated food production system needs a new regulatory focus. Contamination of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, peanuts and other foods are an indictment of a food safety system that is out of control and has become dominated by corporate agribusiness and powerful insider lobbyists. Regulators at the FDA, USDA and other agencies have fallen short in their public safety responsibilities.

The public outcry over this situation has finally led some in Congress to propose remedies—and we should support strict oversight of the runaway industrial farming and food production system that is responsible for illnesses and deaths among our citizenry.

Although stakeholders in the organic community need to be on-guard, the flurry of e-mails and Internet postings suggesting that HR 875 will end organic farming as we know it seem to grossly exaggerate the risks. Here's what we know:

Some level of reform is coming and we must work diligently to make sure that any changes do not harm or competitively disadvantage organic and local family farm producers and processors who are providing the fresh, wholesome and authentic food for which consumers are increasingly hungry.

Several bills aimed at fixing the broken food safety system have been proposed. Of these bills, the FDA Globalization Act (
HR 759) appears most likely to be voted on, with elements of the other bills, including the Food Safety Modernization Act (HR 875) and the Safe FEAST Act (HR 1332) possibly incorporated into the bill. A vote on a final bill shortly before Memorial Day is likely.

All three bills would require new food safety rules for farms and food processing businesses. Therefore, as with most legislation, the real battle will be in the rule-making process that follows the passage of the bill. We must stay engaged.


A Tempest in a Teapot
Anyone with an interest in food safety issues has probably seen or received emails charging that backyard gardens and organic farming would be outlawed by new food safety laws. We have closely read the proposed legislation, done extensive background research, and talked with the chief staff member responsible for the drafting of HR 875. Some have argued that this is a conspiracy promulgated by Monsanto and other corporate interests in conventional agriculture. It is our conclusion that none of these bills would “outlaw organic farming.” Other groups, such as Food and Water Watch and the organic certification agent CCOF have reached similar conclusions. But as we just noted, we need to be engaged in this process to protect organic and family farmer interests.

Also, concerns have been raised that these new laws don’t examine meat safety concerns. The USDA is responsible for much of the nation’s meat safety regulations. It does not appear that Congress, at this time, is prepared to address deficiencies involving meat.


Dingell Bill Has Momentum in the House
HR 759, authored by John Dingell (D-MI), the House's most senior member, is the bill that will be given priority by the House as they weigh food safety legislation. It proposes that all food processing facilities register with the FDA and pay annual fees, evaluate hazards and implement preventive controls of these hazards, monitor these controls and keep extensive records.

HR 759 would give authority to the FDA to establish "science-based" minimum standards for the safe production and harvesting of fruits and vegetables. These food safety standards would address manure use, water quality, employee hygiene, sanitation and animal control, temperature controls, and nutrients on the farm.

Such one-size-fits-all food safety rules, especially preventative measures, created with industrial-scale farms and processors in mind, would likely put smaller and organic producers at an economic and competitive disadvantage. A similar voluntary set of regulations in California have damaged the environment and hurt organic and fresh produce growers.

These high-quality, owner-operated, and often "local" farms are an important part of the solution to our nation's food quality problems—not the cause—and they must be protected!


Protecting the Nation's Farming Heroes
It should be noted that unlike conventional farms, organic producers are already highly regulated in managing manure by composting and other requirements that dramatically reduce pathogenic risk. Spinach, tomatoes, peppers, almonds, and peanuts are in no way inherently dangerous. These fresh and nutritious foods pose a risk only after they are contaminated, which is why new food safety legislation must address the underlying causes of food safety hazards.

Whatever the final legislation looks like, it must make clear that it is the intent of Congress to ensure that ensuing regulations will not disproportionately burden small-scale family farm producers and farmstead businesses that are the backbone of the local, sustainable and organic food movement.

Part of the Solution, Not Part of the Problem!
We must tell Congress to protect high quality organic and local food production


TK: It could be that the influence of Cornucopia and other small farm advocates will tend to temper the expectations of food safety legislation this year. Certainly, the sensitivities of this community will create challenges to lawmakers in trying to exactly define what growers, if any, should be excluded from the impact of food safety legislation.

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Decofruit news

Priscilla Lleras of Decofruit wrote a gracious email today about Fresh Talk and asked me to pass on news from their company. From the release:

Expordata Full Cargo, the only official on-line figures of the Chilean fruit industry provided by the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association (ASOEX), has announced a redesign and new image of its user-friendly website. This information tool, provided by Decofrut of Santiago, Chile, covers all Chilean fruit statistics for all markets and is now even easier and more effective to use under the redesigned format. The new image celebrates Decofrut’s 20 years in business.

TK: Decofruit has been helpful to The Packer over the years in providing complimentary export data to our reporters doing stories on Chilean fruit exports. Check out the company's Web site at www.fruitonline.com.

Jay Martini and Mike Shamberg hired by Russet Potato Exchange

Our very creative guest blogger Jay Martini (if you are new to the blog, Jay had a string of powerful guest posts during the salmonella outbreak last year) has a new day job. Congratulations, Jay. Here is the press release about the recent developments at Russet Potato Exchange.



Bancroft, WI; March 26, 2009 – With sales and account presence all over the United States, Russet Potato Exchange (RPE) decided their offices no longer needed to be confined only within the borders of Wisconsin and opened their first satellite office in Chicago with the help of Mike Shamberg and John (Jay) Martini, Jr., formerly of The Art Kramer Company.

RPE’s interest in expanding their locations is based on their corporate goals to be a category leader and offer all their customers expanded services. Russell Wysocki, President of RPE commented, “Our new Chicago office allows us to offer greater customer service levels and touch points within the Chicago market, as well as extended Midwest markets by expanding our sales staff with experienced professionals like Mike and Jay.”

When asked about the transition, Shamberg remarked, “RPE presented Jay (Martini) and I with an opportunity to utilize our collective business experience and expand our customer base. Our close working relationship with RPE over the years has been based in trust and respect. Their continued growth in the industry was a testament to their vision and we wanted to be a part of that.”

Wysocki went on to note, “RPE’s relationship of over 30 years with Mike (Shamberg) provided us with a high degree of confidence in his ability to lead our new effort and bring valuable assets that help the new office quickly get up to speed and continue to deliver on our corporate initiatives for quality execution. Additionally, Jay’s experience with products like tomatoes gives us new areas of growth to explore.”“I am excited about the opportunity to work for a proactive company that is well positioned to take advantage of market opportunities. RPE’s willingness to bring Mike and I on board and expand their customer base and product mix speaks to their commitment to growth,” concluded Jay Martini.

RPE Chicago will be based in Skokie, IL and officially opened for business on Monday, March 23. In addition to handling potatoes, onions and tomatoes, RPE Chicago will be available for short service and will occasionally handle a variety of additional items including cabbage, carrots, melons and mixed root vegetables.

Russet Potato Exchange (RPE), a second generation family farm, is a category leader and key grower/shipper of year round potatoes and onions. RPE prides itself on maintaining a high level of business integrity that includes commitments to environmental sustainability, as well as category innovation and retail solutions.

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Gardening is golden and other headlines

One has to wonder - will the increase in backyard gardening be statistically significant? And if so, what will it mean for commercial growers? Yet another endorsement of gardening today. Find the article here. From the piece.

The trend is so hot, even the White House is doing it, with first lady Michelle Obama on Friday breaking ground on the first kitchen garden there since Eleanor Roosevelt's World War II victory garden. Obama told the grade-schoolers at the groundbreaking that whole point of the garden was to make sure her family had access to fresh vegetables and fruits.

More headlines this morning...


Grain growers rebuff Obama's plan to cut subsidies EO.now

Grain industry leaders from Oregon, Washington and Idaho sent an open letter to President Obama Tuesday, expressing outrage over his proposal to cut payments to farmers in order to ease the national deficit


Organic foods in demand despite recession Stock and Land

World demand for organic foods is expected to grow by 46pc over the five years endin 2012, despite the world economic crisis. This bullish outlook is contained in a United Nations Trade and Development Agency (UNCTAD) report. World sales from certified organic products are expected to reach $67 billion in 2012, up from $46 billion in 2007 and about $23 billion in 2002.


Red meat linked to risk of earlier death Star Tribune

Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to a large federal study offering powerful new evidence that a diet that regularly includes steaks, burgers and pork chops is hazardous to your health.The study of more than 500,000 middle-age and elderly Americans found that those who consumed the equivalent of about a small hamburger every day were more than 30 percent more likely to die in the following 10 years, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Processed meats also increased the risk.The new study is the first large examination of the relationship between eating meat and overall mortality.In contrast, routine consumption of fish, chicken, turkey and other poultry decreased the risk of death slightly, the study found

Roubini on home buying: beter to wait International Business Times

Economic uncertainty due to job losses means potential home buyers should hold off as prices are set to drop up to 20 percent in the next 18 months, economist Nouriel Roubini said on Thursday.

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Thursday, March 26, 2009

Links to Stenzel testimony and Inspector General report on traceability

We've already published Rep. Rosa DeLauro's opening statement from today's traceability hearing.Passed on by United, here is the link to Tom Stenzel's testimony before Rep. Rosa DeLauro's Ag-FDA approps subcommittee. Meanwhile, here is the link to the Inspector General Report on food traceability.

Look for coverage in The Packer on this story.....

Stenzel started this way.....

As today’s hearing is focused broadly on food traceability, let me discuss three issues with
specific regard to the fresh produce industry.
1. The general state of traceability in the produce industry today, and compliance under the Bioterrorism Act;
2. Major initiatives now well underway within our industry to build streamlined, whole chain traceability for produce; and finally,
3. Some brief thoughts on what may be most appropriate for Congress and FDA moving forward.
Let me begin with this – just as our industry is committed to providing consumers the safest possible foods, we are also committed to ensuring our ability to track fresh produce from the retail store or restaurant back to the farm.


From the Inspector General's report:

For 4 of the 40 products, we could not identify the facilities that likely handled them
For four products—a tomato, a bag of ice, a bottle of fruit juice, and a bottle of water—at least one facility in the food supply chain failed to provide any information about the potential sources of the products. This prevented us from tracing these four products through each stage of the food supply chain back to the farm(s) or the border and from identifying all of the facilities that likely handled the products. In a food emergency, there could be serious health consequences if FDA cannot—at a minimum—identify the facilities that potentially handled
a contaminated food product.

Obesty hearing: House Agriculture Committee

From the inbox this afternoon:

Today, the House Agriculture Committee's Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing to review the problem of obesity in the United States.

The subcommittee heard testimony from health and obesity experts about the most current statistics on obesity and the many implications of obesity on public health and communities.

"With its cost on America estimated somewhere in the $80 to $120 billion a year range, obesity is a problem we must address both for the health of our nation and for our long-term economic sustainability," Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry Subcommittee Chairman Joe Baca said. "Today's hearing provided an excellent opportunity to learn of the tremendous impact of obesity on America, and study the education and preventative steps we must incorporate as we move forward in our attempts to eliminate this disease."

"The increase in obesity nationwide has far-reaching effects in terms of public health and health care costs," Subcommittee Ranking Member Jeff Fortenberry said. "I am very concerned by this trend, particularly among our children. Good nutrition, including a diet of fresh, locally-raised foods, can improve health outcomes and lower medical costs, a winning combination for American health care, sustainable agriculture, and strong local economies."

Written testimony provided by the witnesses is available on the Committee website:
http://agriculture.house.gov/hearings/index.html.
A full transcript of the hearing will be posted on the Committee website at a later date.


Witness List

Panel I
William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington, D.C.

Panel II
Anne M. Wolf, R.D., M.S., Research Instructor, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia Richard S. Hamburg, Director of Government Relations, Trust for America's Health, Washington, D.C.
Martin M. Yadrick, M.S., M.B.A., R.D., F.A.D.A., President, American Dietetic Association, Washington, D.C.
Donna Mazyck, R.N., M.S., N.C.S.N., President of the Board, National Association for School Nurses, Silver Spring, Maryland



From statement of Dietz:

The prevalence of obesity among American youth increased radically between the 1980’s and the present decade. Between 1976 and 1980, approximately 5 percent of youth 2 to 19 years of age were obese.[i] In 2006, the rate had increased to 16.3 percent. In fact, obesity among children aged 2 to 5 years doubled, increasing from 5 percent to 12.4 percent; among children 6 to 11 had doubled, increasing from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17.0 percent in 2006; and tripled among adolescents aged 12 to 19, increasing from 5 percent in 1980 to 17.6 percent in 2006.[ii] Furthermore, 11.3 percent of children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years were found to be severely obese, that is, their BMI was above the 97th percentile.


Later....


Several sources of CDC-funded surveillance or monitoring data allow us to track obesity related behaviors and other risk factors among the nation’s youth.[i] Behaviors and risk factors monitored by CDC tracking systems include rates of physical activity and critical indicators of nutrition (e.g., fruit and vegetable consumption, maternal breastfeeding practices). We use these data to assess the health of our youth and develop relevant interventions designed to integrate multiple settings (i.e., communities, medical care and schools) in efforts to support healthier behaviors for children and their families.

Later...


Further, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourages all Americans to daily consume fruits and vegetables in amounts sufficient to meet their caloric needs based on age, height, weight, gender, and level of physical activity. However, between 1999 and 2007, the percentage of U.S. youth in grades 9 through 12 who reported eating fruits and vegetables five or more times per day declined from 23.9 to 21.4 percent.[i] These factors may have had a direct impact on the nation’s childhood obesity rate. That students cannot meet these physical activity and nutrition recommendations illustrates the need to develop public policies that create and support environments that allow for regular and routine physical activity and access to healthful foods for our youth.


TK: Dietz notes that the obesity rates appears to be plateauing. Here are the strategies from CDC:


increasing physical activity;
increasing fruit and vegetable consumption;
increasing breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity;
decreasing television viewing;
decreasing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages; and
decreasing consumption of foods high in calories and low in nutritional value.

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Vegetables are cool again and other USDA headlines

This USDA FAS report on Japan food trends says vegetables are cool again. How so? Post explains that it is not so much the plain fresh veg that's making a comeback....
 
Vegetables have slowly been gaining popularity in Japan over the last year or so. What was once considered just a staple of one's diet is now on it's way to becoming the highlight of every meal. Convenience stores everywhere are turning out veggie rich products. Some fit in with regular convenience store fare such as sweet potato flavored cookies or pumpkin pudding. Then there are dried vegetables, veggie chips, and vegetable supplement. Even pastry shops like Patisserie Potager are getting in on the trend, and selling vegetable chocolates, cheesecake,and rolls. These items are selling quickly too. Perhaps it is the concern over Japan's ever growing waste lines and the rise of metabolic syndrome that has people rushing for these new offerings, even if some of them are just as fattening as the regular versions of the products. It's still a great way to "reintroduce" consumers to vegetables.
 
 
TK: Worth a closer look
 
  • The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food increased 5.5 percent in 2008, the highest annual increase since 1990, and is forecast to increase 3.0 to 4.0 percent in 2009.
  • Food-at-home prices, led by fats and oils and cereal and bakery product prices, increased 6.4 percent, while food-away-from-home prices rose 4.4 percent in 2008.
  • Total food expenditures for all food consumed in the U.S. was $1,139.4 billion dollars in 2007, a 5.4-percent increase from $1,081.4 billion in 2006. Spending on food away from home was 48.8 percent of the $1,139.4 billion in total food expenditures in 2007—spending for food at home was 51.1 percent.
  •  
     
    Tom Daschle: The former Senate majority leader's legacy will live on at USDA, since Vilsack has hired his daughter Lindsay Daschle to serve as his confidential secretary; former Daschle Senate staffer Grant Leslie will serve as a senior adviser.
     
     
    As part of ongoing efforts to enhance its ability to serve the needs of the produce industry, the Fruit and Vegetable Programs of USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service today announced the establishment of a nationwide toll-free number for its Fresh Products Branch. The number, (800) 560-7956, is available to Fresh Products Branch clients seeking information about their accounts or to speak with a staff member about a particular service.
     
    TK: What about MAP?

    The committee was expected to vote on Thursday on its spending plan for fiscal 2010, which opens Oct 1. The plan offered by Chairman Kent Conrad forgoes crop subsidy cuts proposed by the White House. Instead, Conrad suggested costs could be cut for crop insurance, the Market Access Program, which develops export markets, and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which shares the cost of controlling runoff from fields and feedlots. It would be up to the committees that control the programs, such as Agriculture and Appropriations, to set the actual spending levels for them, said the spokesman.

    Idled farmland may be carbon sink Reuters

    The Conservation Reserve, which pays owners to idle fragile U.S. farmland, could become one of the largest carbon sequestration programs on private land, an Agriculture Department official said on Wednesday.

    USDA names Dave White to head conservation service Reuters

     

    Chat - Jeff Dlott




    Chatting with Jeff Dlott, chief executive officer at SureHarvest, Soquel, Calif. From March 23:
    3:02 p.m. Tom Karst: Thanks for taking part in another Fresh Talk chat. First of all, where did you go to university and when did your career first connect with agriculture?
    3:05 p.m. Jeff Dlott: I graduated with an undergraduate degree in biological sciences and a Ph.D. in entomology from UC Berkeley. As an undergraduate at Cal, I got "hooked" into agricultural science through course work in soil sciences, plant pathology, agricultural ecology, pest management and related fields. This was back in 1984. At that point, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in agriculture.
    3:07 p.m. Tom: Interesting. Your career took you down the road and you eventually founded SureHarvest in 1999. Why did you start the company and has the evolution of the issue of sustainability in agriculture followed your expectations since then?
    3:12 p.m. Jeff: Prior to founding SureHarvest I held positions in academia, the non-profit and the government sectors working on research, extension, and policy issues. These were all gratifying but I felt frustrated by the pace of change toward the development and adoption of more sustainable agricultural systems. I came to the realization that the private sector better fit my goals to drive change through technology and business process improvement.
    3:13 p.m. Tom: Why is sustainability important? Can investments in sustainability provide a return on investment, and how does your company assist in that plan?
    3:19 p.m. Jeff: Sustainability is important because the fundamental framework recognizing the need to address economic, environmental and social principles. Sustainability begins with profitability and provides a lens to look how businesses and other organizations can reduce costs, improve product quality, basically improve business performance by improving their social and environmental footprint. The reduction of energy use, water use, greenhouse gases along with improving employee productivity are good for the bottom line and for broader sustainability goals. Our company provides services to uncover and optimize efficiency opportunities and provides software systems to measure and manage performance.
    3:24 p.m. Tom: That makes sense. You are doing a great job of putting things in a brief yet complete way. In that spirit, describe your involvement in the development of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops. Do you feel that work on that index will position it as the principal measuring stick for sustainability in the produce industry? Will the Leonardo Academy's work on this issue be a help or hindrance?
    3:27 p.m. Jeff: The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops has the approach and ingredients to become the principal system to measure sustainability performance in specialty crops including an open and transparent process, a very strong set of stakeholders that cover the supply chain from the ground to retailers and foodservice companies, and leading non-profit organizations that can ask as trust agents for the larger society concerns. The devil is in the detail of reaching agreement on metrics that are meaningful and doable. I'm confident that this project is focusing on the right questions to get to the simplicity of meaningful and doable metrics, and I'm hopeful we will all be efficient in working through the incredible complexity to get to this simplicity. In terms of measuring and managing for sustainability performance, I think it is now a matter of time rather than a matter of if. My take on the Leonardo Academy's work is that it did not begin with the right approach and it was not asking the right questions to start. It may evolve in approach and direction, if not; I anticipate it will not be able to attain enough buy-in to be useful.
    3:35 p.m. Tom: Thanks for the insight on the process. I’ve kept you about 30 minutes, but I wanted to ask one last question about the recent sustainability conference you presented at. What was the name of the event and what were the "take-aways" for you and others who attended?
    3:38 p.m. Jeff: The name of the conference was "Growing a 21st Century Agricultural Revolution". The participants mix is similar to the Stewardship Index and other multi-stakeholder agrifood sustainability efforts including major retailers, foodservice operators, consumer packaged goods companies, trade associations, nonprofits, universities and government representatives. As part of the conference I put together a survey asking participants what they see as the major sustainability trends, what are organizations tracking now in terms of sustainability measures, and what are the major benefits from pursuing sustainability initiatives. The survey results and then the conference itself were similar in that there is emerging a general consensus on the big issues ahead and what to do about it. The issues of water use, energy use greenhouse gases, and water quality, and the bigger issue of ecosystem services consistently rose to the top. There was also general agreement that by working on these issues in a pre-competitive way through partnerships can advance progress faster. For the previous question, I forgot to mention that my role in the Stewardship Index is as a co-founder and now member of the Steering Committee which is the group that is providing day-to-day management of the project. I'm often tasked with being one of the science guys to make sure we are approaching the metrics using the best available science.
    3:48 p.m. Tom: That is well noted. Thanks for all your time and energy this afternoon. Is there a Web site for the Stewardship Index for our readers to go to? Again, thanks for your time today Jeff.
    3:50 p.m. Jeff: Yes, www.stewardshipindex.org, anyone can sign up to serve on developing specific metrics and to stay informed. Thank you Tom!

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