Maple Leaf forever - lessons learned

Doug Powell of the Food Safety Network passes on a link to a story headlined "Maple Leaf Forever." The story on www.canada.com cites the Canadian company's public relations campaign that has sped its recovery from a listeria outbreak last year linked to its meat products that killed an astounding 20 people and sickened many more. From the story:



Market research pollster Hotspex surveyed nearly 4,200 Canadian shoppers for Maple Leaf and found consumer confidence in the brand between September and December 2008 had risen from 64 to 91 per cent, in part because of a public-relations campaign some are hailing as the best example of corporate crisis-management since Johnson & Johnson responded to the discovery of cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules in the United States in 1982.
"I think time will show that they have significantly redefined the way corporate entities will respond in crisis situations in the future," says Bob Reid, chief media strategist at Toronto-based Veritas Communications.

Later...

The latest phase of the trust-rebuilding campaign includes two TV ads, introduced this month, that show Maple Leaf microbiologists working with meat at the Toronto plant, and later serving it to their children at home.

The commercials' taglines read: "Passionate people, passionate about food."

The company isn't tipping its hand on whether more of these "consumer confidence ads" are planned, but Smith says the hope is that they'll be able to return to more traditional brand-based marketing soon.

The company has also launched a website dedicated to keeping the public in step with its action plan, which consumers have the option of opening when they arrive at Maple Leaf Foods' online home (www.mapleleaf.ca). Smith says the hope is that these combined efforts will see the brand fully rebound sometime between February and August.

TK:What's the lesson learned? Speed over accuracy is one takeaway, according to one marketing professor. Read on....

Sylvain Charlebois, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Regina, believes Maple Leaf's emphasis of speed over precision was what made the deepest inroads with consumers.

"NASA, in the case of Challenger in 1986, was so obsessed with accuracy that they didn't have anything to say to the public. And the public started to become very skeptical about the organization and its ability to manage risk properly," says Charlebois.

"Maple Leaf decided to focus on speed and dissemination of information over accuracy. Accuracy would come later ... And it's become clear that they have won the battle of perception - at least early on."

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TK: Wouldn't it be great if the produce industry had a "war fund," where it would have on the ready resources necessary to be able to communicate its message on television in a time-sensitive way, particularly in the event of a foodborne illness outbreak? Aggressive consumer messaging about produce safety is lacking in the industry, I think.

Below is the commercial from Maple Leaf Foods president that apologizes for the outbreak.

DeLauro - optimistic for change at FDA

From the office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro:

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) issued the following statement on a new report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which continues to include federal oversight of food safety as “high risk” to the economy and public health and safety. The GAO has conducted the high risk series since 1990.

“In watching how the Food and Drug Administration has handled the recent salmonella outbreaks affecting peanut butter and peppers, it is no surprise that federal oversight of food safety continues to be included in the Government Accountability Office high-risk series.

“This report notes that ‘this fragmented federal oversight of food safety has caused inconsistent oversight, ineffective coordination, and inefficient use of resources.” As a result, it further substantiates the need to overhaul not only the structure of our food safety system, but also modernize our food safety laws and regulations – an avenue I will pursue when I reintroduce the Food Safety Modernization Act in the next few weeks.

“While food safety remains part of the high-risk series, I am optimistic, that working with the newly-installed Obama Administration, we can bring change to our food safety system. Together we will refocus our food safety system to once again prioritize public health.”

DeLauro will soon reintroduce, the Food Safety Modernization Act, which would not only modernize our food safety laws, but also restructure food safety efforts by splitting the FDA into two separate agencies – dividing the food safety responsibilities from the drug and device safety responsibilities.

Chat - Amanda Raster

Below is another Fresh Talk chat conducted on Jan. 20 with Amanda Raster, sustainability standards development manager at the Leonardo Academy, Madison, Wis. Leonardo was recently affirmed by the Washington, D.C.-based American National Standards Institute as the developer of an agriculture sustainability standard.

3:01 PM Amanda: Hi, Tom. I am online if you are ready for the Q&A.
3:03 PM me: Great. Thanks for taking part in another Fresh Talk chat. I've appreciated your help as we've been trying to understand the sustainability standard setting process at the Leonardo Academy..... My first question is about your background. Are you a homegrown Wisconsonite?
3:06 PM Amanda: Yes. I grew up on a small, family-operated dairy farm in northcentral Wisconsin. My father inspired my life-long love of agriculture. Living in Wisconsin all my life has exposed me to a broad range of agricultural operations and growing practices.
3:07 PM me: But you didn't study dairy science at the University. Did you ever consider "going back to the farm" so to speak?
3:11 PM Amanda: Right - I wasn't necessarily interested in being a dairy farmer. I wanted to explore the social, environmental, and political aspects of farming and my cross-disciplinary studies certainly allowed me to do that. However, being part of this process to develop a sustainable agriculture standard is shedding light on the fact that there is much, much more to learn! So before I head back to the farm--which is a strong possibility in the future--I will probably head back for more schooling.
3:14 PM me: I see in your bio that you had two degrees from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. That's ambitious - what did you see in anthropology and conservation that were relevant to what you wanted to do?
3:15 PM Also, what was your career path after University to Leonardo?
3:20 PM Amanda: When I first started school, I -- like many others -- wasn't sure of the direction I wanted to take. I was very interested in rural issues and rural culture, but I didn't want to necessarily focus on that right away. So I pursued anthropology, which is more of a broad analysis of cultural dynamics and people's relationships to their surroundings and to society. I am finding this background knowledge to be more and more useful everyday. As more time went on, I kept hearing my father's voice asking me "What in the world are you going to do with an anthropology degree?" So I started taking environmental science classes, and eventually settled on the double major.
3:22 PM After graduating, I worked for a Madison-based farmers' cooperative, where I managed a community supported agriculture program. It was a true joy to work so closely with farmers who care about the food they grow, how they grow it, who they are growing it for.
3:23 PM me: Now you have been at Leonardo and are project manager for sustainability projects (correct me here if I'm wrong) What's a typical day and week like for you? What's the most rewarding thing about working on the ag sustainability project?
3:26 PM Amanda: You are correct that I manage Leonardo Academy's sustainability standards development program. The sustainable agriculture standard absorbs more of my time than the other projects we are working on, but I don't mind because it's what I am most passionate about.
3:30 PM A typical day really varies depending on what is happening with the standard. I receive emails and phone calls nearly every day from people who are interested in the process and want to know how they can get involved. Which, in my mind, is a very positive indicator that people see the potential benefits of having a sustainable agriculture standard and that our outreach is continuing to reach the people it should be. Working with the Task Forces has brought on a lot of additional work--I sit in on at least 2 to 4 conference calls every week, keep records of the conversations, and work with Task Force members to make sure that they have the materials and resources they need to move forward with their work. A lot of this work is communications-oriented. It's critical to be clear, concise, and efficient when working with such a large group of stakeholders, and I really enjoy the challenge all of this brings.
3:32 PM Of course, we also have to make sure that all of the work we are doing follows our standards development process, as well as ANSI's standard development rules, and that we are able to document a standard development process from start to finish. So there is a lot of administration that happens on a daily basis, as well.
3:33 PM me: That does sound like a big process to manage. One question some readers might have is whether "conventional" growers have equal footing and representation in the standard setting process. At the end of the day, do you think both organic and conventional growers will move ahead with consensus on this issue of sustainability standards?
3:36 PM Amanda: To be honest, both organic and conventional growers are concerned about their representation in this process. The Outreach Task Force recently did a gap analysis of the Standards Committee and determined that both industries do have equal representation on the Committee. And of course, we are encouraging stakeholders from all sectors to participate in the Task Forces and the subcommittees and other working groups that will be formed in the future.
3:39 PM Based on conversations that have occurred thus far within the Task Forces, I believe that both conventional and organic growers will take the opportunity throughout this to air out their issues and concerns and then work to establish principles and metrics that are agreed upon by all. What will likely happen is that the standard will take the form of a continuous improvement model to incorporate the range of sustainability practices utilized in both conventional and organic operations.
3:41 PM me: Very good. I've kept you quite a while so we should wrap up. Thanks for taking part in the chat and do you have a website to direct our readers to the work of your group? Thanks again and we'll have to do it again down the line.
3:42 PM Amanda: Sure. Readers can visit http://www.leonardoacademy.org/Projects/ansi.htm to learn more about the ANSI standards we are developing, including the sustainable agriculture standard.
3:43 PM me: Great. Thanks Amanda
Amanda: Thank you, Tom!

House Ag Committee - ranking members

From the Republicans at the House Agriculture Committee:

Today, Ranking Republican Frank Lucas named six members to serve as Subcommittee Ranking Members on the Agriculture Committee. Former Chairman and Ranking Republican Bob Goodlatte will hold a leadership role, and two other veteran Subcommittee Ranking Members will remain in top positions. The Ranking Members are listed below.

“I am pleased to announce these new leadership posts for the Committee. All of the subcommittee Ranking Republicans are seasoned members and strong advocates for American agriculture. They understand the value of our farmers and ranchers and how important rural communities are to our nation’s economy,” said Ranking Republican Frank Lucas.

Lucas also announced that Rep. Bill Cassidy from Louisiana will be joining the Agriculture Committee. Rep. Cassidy represents the 6^th Congressional District. Cassidy is a medical doctor from Baton Rouge. He also served a stint as a senator in the Louisiana State Legislature. Rice is the leading crop in his district, followed by dairy and timber.

The Subcommittee Ranking Members are listed below:
Rep. Bob Goodlatte, Virginia, will be the Ranking Republican on the Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research Subcommittee.

Rep. Jerry Moran, Kansas, will be the Ranking Republican on the General Farm Commodities and Risk Management Subcommittee.

Rep. Randy Neugebauer, Texas, will be the Ranking Republican on the Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Subcommittee.

Rep. K. Michael Conaway, Texas, will be the Ranking Republican on the Specialty Crops, Rural Development, and Foreign Agriculture Subcommittee.

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, Nebraska, will be the Ranking Republican on the Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee.

Rep. Jean Schmidt, Ohio, will be the Ranking Republican on the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture Subcommittee.

An updated list of Agriculture Committee Republicans follows:
Frank Lucas, Ranking Member, (OK-3)
Bob Goodlatte (VA-6)
Jerry Moran (KS-1)
Timothy V. Johnson (IL-15)
Sam Graves (MO-6)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Steve King (IA-5)
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
K. Michael Conaway (TX-11)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
Jean Schmidt (OH-2)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Robert E. Latta (OH-5)
Phil Roe (TN-1)*
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9)*
Glenn W. Thompson (PA-5)*
Bill Cassidy (LA-6)*

*new members
There is one vacancy

Not feeling too good myself - Fresh Talk poll

Well, it could have been worse. The results of the latest Fresh Talk poll:


How do you feel business for fresh produce will be in six months

Better	9 (25%)
Worse	11 (31%)
About the same	15 (42%)

Votes so far: 35
Poll closed

A Tree Falls In The Forest...

I know it’s early in the process but…what if Florida had a freeze and nobody cared?

Early data coming out of south Florida this morning shows significant time periods under 32 degrees in the tomato growing areas, with little wind (bad) and clear skies (worse). Here’s the best website for that weather info:

http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/

Traditionally, the way the scenario plays out is this: the freeze takes place, the growers assess the damage, and then decide whether a salvage operation is feasible. Most times it is---in my 29 years in the business I can only remember two or three times when there has been a complete and utter wipe-out.

So we wait. We’ve been down this road many, many times before but, at least initially, I get the sneaking suspicion that, for a variety of reasons, we aren’t going to get the highly volatile price spikes we’ve had in the past after a freeze. The Mexican tomato market has been glutted for at least two weeks, with export prices to the U.S. up till now not able to rise above the minimums deigned by the Department of Commerce suspension agreement. Depending on the severity of the Florida freeze, the Nogales market is due for at least a bump. And the tomato pipeline right now is full to bursting with little terminal market movement, especially in Chicago where we’ve been below freezing for over two weeks straight.

And truthfully, I still don’t think we’re totally past the salmonella fiasco of last summer, at least from a consumption standpoint. If the retails are forced up in the stratosphere again, say $2.49 plus, the customers don't need ‘em. It’s that simple, unfortunately.

Later,

Jay