From Field to Fork

Last week on his audio blog, PMA Chief Science and Technology Officer Dr. Bob Whitaker was joined by Marilyn Dolan, executive director of the Alliance for Food and Farming, to discuss media coverage of misleading information about produce pesticide levels and to share what the produce industry is doing to counteract these claims.

For a number of years, reports like the “Dirty Dozen” that call into question the safety of fruits and vegetables periodically appear in news cycles. Over time, these inaccurate reports have eroded consumer confidence; studies have found that more than 90 percent of consumers say they are “somewhat to very concerned” about pesticide residues on food.

In response, the Alliance for Food and Farming has teamed up with PMA to launch a new campaign called “The Real Danger of the Dirty Dozen List.” PMA supports this effort as part of our ongoing mission to identify and respond to emerging issues and effectively avoid or minimize their impact on our members’ businesses. We’ve been integrally involved in the development of this campaign from inception, including financially assisting with the campaign’s consumer Web site.

We’ll also be highlighting this campaign during a workshop at Fresh Summit in October. To learn more about the Fresh Summit education program, visit the event Web site and look at the schedule. If you’re planning to come to Orlando in October, remember that the deadline to register online and save is September 17. The last day to register in advance is October 1.

In the meantime, visit the Ask Dr. Bob blog for more details on the Alliance and the new Web site. While you’re there, don’t forget to sign up to get future updates directly via e-mail.

Yesterday, the Alliance for Food and Farming launched a new Web site to counter inaccurate claims by activist groups concerning alleged unsafe levels of pesticides on produce. The site is a key component of a three-year campaign that will generate more balanced media reporting and change public perception about the safety of produce related to pesticide residues. The campaign uses sound science, provided by a team of nationally renowned nutrition and toxicological experts, to set the record straight about the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

For example, the site notes that a list such as “The Dirty Dozen” misleads consumers in that it’s based only upon exposure data while remaining silent about available information on the toxicity of pesticides present in the diet. As a result, the list does not provide a basis to assess risk.

The site also includes detailed information on the scientific experts who contributed to the review of “The Dirty Dozen,” as well as information on the healthful and nutritional benefits of eating fresh produce.

PMA is a proud supporter of this campaign. We firmly believe that it is necessary to counter the claims that have beleaguered our industry for years now, and that threaten to undermine consumer confidence in fresh produce. If you, your supply chain partners, or your customers need answers to questions about pesticide residues on produce, we invite you to visit www.safefruitsandveggies.com.

On our way to work every day (I carpool with other PMA staffers), we pass a particular plot of land. Last summer, this plot was full of produce and activity. It was clearly a group of people who wanted to grow produce for themselves and their families and neighbors. They weeded and watered. Someone was there in the mornings as we passed and the evenings when we went home. It was hot, humid, rainy, sunny, dry, everything all growers face. But they persevered, and it looked as if they had some good crops come out of that plot. They even had security issues because toward the end of last season they put up a stronger fence with an electric wire to keep thieves – human or otherwise – out.

So this spring we watched for evidence of plowing (OK, rototilling in this case). Nothing. We looked for cars or trucks or other evidence of workers. Nothing. As we passed this morning and the weeds blew in the wind, it was clear no one was going to plant anything in this plot this year. The plot is abandoned, though the fence and wire are still there.

This group of people put a lot of effort – time, money, and back muscles – into this plot for produce last year. For some reason, they didn’t return. Too hard? Too expensive? Too risky? Too little return?

As consumers give farming a go, they find the same perils you face every day. When they decide it’s not worth it, they should have an increased appreciation of what it takes to get the bounty of the earth onto their dinner plates. Thanks to all of you who do persevere and grow the fresh fruits and vegetables I eat. And thanks to the supermarkets and restaurants that make them available to me and to that small group of Delaware consumers who’ve given up the farm.

Inaccurate claims by activist groups of unsafe levels of pesticides have been widely reported in the media for years – for example, the so-called “Dirty Dozen” reports. Without science to rebut them, they have largely gone uncontested; however, a free Webinar at 10 a.m. PST on July 1 will give PMA members and industry leaders the facts they need to respond to these misleading reports.

During the Webinar, the Alliance for Food and Farming will introduce its three-year campaign that will generate more balanced media reporting and change public perception about the safety of produce related to pesticide residues. The campaign uses sound science, provided by a team of nationally renowned nutrition and toxicological experts, to set the record straight about the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Specifically, the campaign includes:

• A comprehensive review of the “Dirty Dozen” report by a team of esteemed experts, including toxicologists, physicians and nutritionists.
• A commodity-specific analysis by Dr. Robert Krieger of the University of California, Riverside.
• A consumer education Web site, sponsored by PMA.
• An aggressive outreach campaign targeted toward mainstream media, popular bloggers, nutritionists and dieticians, the trade press and the produce industry.

PMA has supported this campaign from its inception as part of our ongoing work to identify and address emerging issues and then respond to them — to avoid or minimize their impact on your businesses. That work is one of the ways we provide year-round value to you, our members. The Webinar is just two days away; register now!

The recent publication of a new study in a medical journal that claims a possible link between ingestion of foodborne residues of a class of crop protection tools used on some fruits and vegetables – organophosphates (OP) – and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children has generated media attention and member questions during the past few days.

PMA (along with allied organizations including the Alliance for Food and Farming, United Fresh, and Western Growers) has been monitoring media reports on this issue. We alerted our members about the report Tuesday evening after watching misinformation and misperceptions get perpetuated in the media and after hearing from key members from across the supply chain. In our message, we provided clarifying information and tools that sellers and buyers alike can use to communicate with their customers. Some of those key points are:

• More study is needed on this subject. We shouldn’t change our habits based on one study alone, and certainly not based on an observational study, which by design does not definitely prove cause and effect. Rigorously designed and more detailed research is needed to determine whether there is in fact a direct relationship between OP exposure and ADHD. In the interim, suggestions that consumers should avoid conventionally grown produce are unwarranted and unfounded, and misperceptions abound that organic and/or locally-grown produce is pesticide-free.
• Meanwhile, it is not in the best interest of public health to scare consumers away from eating fresh produce of any kind. Fresh fruits and vegetables are an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet, and we should be eating more of them, not less, for our better health.
• Should consumers express concern regarding this study and media reports about it, you may wish to inform them that the Food and Drug Administration advises that washing whole produce items – conventionally grown, locally grown and organic – before eating them is a healthful habit. Pesticide residues that might be present can often be reduced or eliminated by rinsing these foods with cold or lukewarm tap water.

To view our complete issue alert on this topic, visit the PMA Web site. Note: you will need to be logged in to PMA.com to view the alert.

Recently, the USDA put out its Agricultural Projections to 2019. With the usual caveats that this is not a forecast, it is a “conditional, long-run scenario about what would be expected to happen under a continuation of current farm legislation and specific assumptions about external conditions.” The report details those assumptions and external conditions such as the value of the dollar, global policies, economic growth, macroeconomics and more. And, it reports mainly on the usual suspects like cotton, corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, and other grains, with considerable attention to meat and poultry. Deep in the hundred-page document on page 66, 77, and 78 are the data about our industry. Then it’s back to barley, sorghum, and oats.

PMA’s Economic Reach and Impact of the Fresh Produce and Floral Industry shows that our industry represents 4.23% of U.S. GDP and one-third of U.S. animal/crop production worth about $300 billion in production/shipping alone ($554 billion when we include retail and foodservice). For every dollar of production value, our industry pumps out $16.75 of economic value.

Besides my not-so-disguised feelings about the short shrift produce gets in the report, I wanted to let you know what USDA said about its projections for the future of horticultural trade (given the caveats, and understand that this covers fresh and processed products):

• Annual growth from 2010 to 2019 will be strongest for fruits and tree nuts (2.8%), followed by vegetables (2.4%), and greenhouse/nursery crops (1.6%)
• Volume of farm production of horticultural crops is projected to rise .7% per year, with gains in producer prices at 1.9% per year.
• Imports will grow at 3.7% a year and exports at 2.8% per year (import and export of fresh will exceed that of processed products).
• Imports will increase as a percentage of the U.S. horticultural crops/products supply – from 47% in 2010 to 52% in 2019.
• Both exports and imports will grow, but imports will increase more than exports, increasing the U.S. trade deficit in horticultural crops/products ($13 billion in 2010, $20 billion in 2019).

Check out the report if you want more details on the forecast.

In today’s Federal Register, the USDA announced the availability of $55 million in grant funds, less USDA administrative costs, to solely enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops - defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops (including floriculture).

Each state department of agriculture that submits an application that is reviewed and approved by USDA will receive a minimum grant amount of at least $100,000, or up to one-third of 1 percent of the total amount of funding made available in fiscal year 2010, whichever is greater.

In addition, AMS will allocate the remainder of the grant funds based on the value of specialty crop production in each state in relation to the national value of specialty crop production using the latest available cash receipt data. Some examples these monies could be used include:

• Increasing child and adult nutrition knowledge and consumption of specialty crops;
• Assisting all entities in the specialty crop distribution chain in developing Good Agricultural, Good Handling and Good Manufacturing practices, including cost share arrangements for funding audits of small farmer, packer and processor systems;
• Enhancing food safety; and
• Fostering organic and sustainable production practices.

To get involved in this process, talk to your state department of agriculture so that your ideas can be turned into grant requests that move our industry forward. Applications must be received between February 3 and July 29. For more details, visit the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program Web site.

In mid October, Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Illinois, announced principles for his immigration reform legislation. Recently, Rep. Gutierrez unveiled his full proposal and it is worth noting that the AgJOBS bill is included. AgJOBS is supported by hundreds of organizations representing agricultural employers, farm worker advocates, business, faith, immigrant and civil rights groups.

PMA supports AgJOBS because it addresses the long-term labor needs of agriculture by overhauling the H-2A program while providing fair protections to farmworkers. AgJOBS also provides a critical near-term transition to wider use of reformed H-2A by providing experienced and otherwise law-abiding but unauthorized farmworkers a chance to earn legal status by meeting strict conditions.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are highly perishable and need to be harvested, packaged, and shipped in a timely manner. This is especially important in certain agricultural areas of the U.S. that have small windows of opportunity to harvest their crops due to the seasons. The industry relies on a strong workforce of both domestic and guest workers in order to gather produce from the fields; however, current U.S. guest worker programs do not sufficiently meet our industry’s needs. AgJOBS would meet these needs.

As the immigration discussion continues on Capitol Hill, it’s essential that PMA members offer the real-world experiences of our industry to their members of Congress so they can make informed decisions that provide the labor resources we need. Taking action only involves a few minutes of your time. Get engaged in the grassroots advocacy process now by visiting the PMA Advocacy Action Center.

The 2008 Farm Bill paid more attention to specialty crops – the bulk of which are fresh produce – than ever before. We rejoiced when it happened, but the real benefits come when those provisions in the legislation become real to our industry. On November 18, USDA took a big step in bringing some of that to reality by awarding more than $46 million through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) to solve critical specialty crop agriculture issues, address priorities and solve problems through multifunctional research and extension.

That money will go to projects that develop and disseminate science-based tools to address the needs of specific crops in five focus areas: improve crop characteristics through plant breeding, genetics and genomics; address pest/disease threats; improve production efficiency, productivity and profitability; develop new innovations and technologies; and improve food safety.

Though it will be a while until we see the results of the research, we have to remember that projects like these can bring significant benefits to the industry over time. It’s easy to lose the connection between legislation intended to help our industry and the real-world results down the road. That’s why we push for such laws, because they do pay off in the end.

In this blog we often talk about how PMA brings our members’ real-world experience to government officials. In late October, we turned the tables and asked Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee to bring our staff his real world of government expertise. Secretary Kee is also the president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), so he has both a state and national perspective on ag issues.

Ag secretaries have to attend to all types of agriculture: livestock, poultry, grains, dairy, produce, and more. In Delaware, a state known more for corn and chickens than fresh produce, we’re lucky to have an ag secretary that came up through the ranks of the vegetable world. Secretary Kee talked to us about the various pressures growers face – the economy, the weather, food safety issues, consumer preferences, land-use pressures, buyer requirements, and a host of other issues. Some things the government can help with, but others are out of its control.

We learned a lot about the creative ways state government is trying to help its growers and the overall economy. (And if anyone is looking for a place to put a produce distribution center or a place for a “local” branch of a national or regional producer, Secretary Kee wants you to know that Delaware is within easy reach of 80 million people and huge consumer food outlets.)

We welcomed Secretary Kee’s insights and look forward to working with him in the future – both as our neighbor and as the head of NASDA.