Chat - Mark Munger

On April 6, I chatted with Mark Munger, vice president of marketing at San Diego-based Andrew & Williamson Fresh Produce and immediate past chairman of the Produce for Better Health Foundation.

10:31 a.m. Tom Karst: Hi Mark
Mark Munger Good Morning Tom!
Tom: Glad you were able to get on. Thanks for taking part in another Fresh Talk chat.
10:32 a.m. Mark: My pleasure! This is a first for me, so I'm looking forward to the chat!
10:33 a.m. Tom: Well, there is much to talk about, issues wise. But first, tell me about your background and how you first connected to the fresh produce industry.
10:36 a.m. Mark: Although it's hard to believe, I've been in the produce industry for 24 years now. I received an Ag degree from UC Davis and my first job out of college was for the California Kiwifruit Commission. From there I worked for the The Nolan Network, a merchandising and marketing firm, then took a position as Retail Director for PMA. After that I was fortunate to work for Driscoll's as their Marketing Director. I've been with Andrew Williamson Fresh Produce now for seven years.
I've been fortunate to have worked for commodity boards, industry trade association and grower/shippers. It's given me a great view of the industry from many angles.
10:37 a.m. Tom: Very interesting background, coming from a variety of industry perspectives. What do you like most about what you do now and what is a typical week like for you?
10:40 a.m. Mark: I work with a terrific company. The absolute best thing about A&W is the people I work with. We are passionate and try to have a lot of fun working together. One of the most challenging yet rewarding parts to my job is that there is not typical week. My focus is primarily business development, so I spend a great deal of time identifying and meeting with new customers.
10:41 a.m. Tom: Mark, I know you had a busy week last week, having just come from the PBH board of trustees meeting. Big news from the task force about the possibility of a generic promotion program. What was the overall mood/vibe of the group about what was shared with them?
10:45 a.m. Mark: Tom, I was really pleased with our meetings this week. PBH has done a tremendous amount of work in gathering information and setting the stage for dialog on a proposed National Promotion Board. In general, I felt the proposal was well received. Our goal for the meeting and for the announcement of a proposed Promotion Board was to create industry dialog. We didn't want anyone to come down immediately for or against the idea, but to give the idea some deep and thoughtful consideration.
10:48 a.m. Tom: Having been with a trade association, a grower commission and a first handler, you could probably anticipate many of the thoughts from each of those groups. Do you think the industry has changed since the GAO report of 1991 and is more ready for a plan of this type?

10:55 a.m. Mark: That's a great question. As a first handler myself, I know the challenges we all face in fighting rising costs and tougher competition. So, I have known all along that the industry may have some hesitation at the idea of National Promotion Board. The clear reality though is that American's are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. For too long our industry has looked at other produce items as our competition and the reality is that our real competition is ALL of the other foods that consumers are eating. When I think of the collective power our industry could have if we all contributed and worked together to promote fruits and veggies, I really feel we could make a difference. If, as an industry, we could get consumers to raise their produce consumption, then we are all going to benefit.
10:59 a.m. In doing her research, we were directed to a publication called The Economics of Commodity Promotion Programs - Lessons from California. The researchers who wrote this publication studied a number of commodity boards and determined that the economic evidence was overwhelmingly in favor of generic promotion. This information helps add some value to our discussions.
11:01 a.m. Tom: Mark, know you have had a leadership role at PBH as chair. Will you be involved with PBH for the upcoming year - what have you enjoyed about working with Elizabeth and the board during your time of leadership?
11:08 a.m. Mark: For the next year I will have a role as immediate Past Chairman and will still have a seat on the Executive Committee. After that I will still stay very involved in the Foundation. My involvement with PBH has been one of the most rewarding activities in my produce career. When you have an insider’s view into PBH, you really realize how passionate and committed the entire staff is to the mission. PBH really makes a difference! Their work with the CDC, with nutritionists, with public health officials, with retailers and shippers, gives the Fruits & Veggies - More Matters brand tremendous reach. I think the most rewarding aspect of my tenure as Chairman has been my work with Elizabeth. I cannot think of a person who is better placed to lead our efforts at PBH. I have much respect for her and feel our industry is lucky to have her as our ambassador for increasing produce consumption!
11:11 a.m. Tom: Yes, I agree. Her work has been tireless and inspired. One more question, cause I've kept you quite a while. Why do you think the task force didn't want food safety to be an element of a generic promotion agreement? Do you feel the industry is getting some traction in getting food safety issues resolved?
11:16 a.m. Mark: At first I was a bit surprised with the task force recommendation. On giving it some thought though, I believe that food safety is being addressed from many angles within the industry and the federal government. There are already a large numbers of champions for improving food safety. By removing food safety, I believe the task force wanted the focus to be solely on changing consumer attitudes and behavior about increasing consumption of fruits and veggies.
11:17 AM Tom: Great perspectives from someone inside the process. I appreciate your time and thanks again!
11:18 AM Mark: Tom, I really appreciate the time! It's both a pleasure and privilege to be considered for a Fresh Talk Chat!