Bryan Silbermann sizes up PMA's efforts at 25-year mark
Bryan Silbermann sizes up PMA's efforts at 25-year mark
MONTEREY, CA -- In taking stock of the effectiveness of the Produce Marketing Association at its foodservice expo's 25-year mark, PMA President Bryan Silbermann said that the organization is enjoying record membership, event attendance and hits to its web site.
PMA's "Heart and Soul" campaign has been effective and resonates with PMA's members, Mr. Silbermann said. The campaign "emphasizes the fact that in this business, people matter a lot more," he said.
The "globalization piece" is coming on with more international representation on its boards from buyers in other countries, Mr. Silbermann said. PMA "is doing more outreach than ever before," he said, adding that Australia is third in PMA membership after the United States and Canada.
As for the industry selling more produce, consumers clearly are saying they want produce that tastes great. The ongoing challenge is to find ways to accommodate what consumers say they want, Mr. Silbermann said. "The fact of the matter is that most innovation has been focused on yield and processing. A focus on taste has got a long way to go."
The industry prizes its ability to get product to look good - even more so at retail - but that can be at the sacrifice of taste. "Retail is drawn by high volume, so shelf appeal is more important," Mr. Silbermann said. "Foodservice is much more designer-based production."
The way to approach the problem is one of reverse engineering. "We need to start with the end product and think backward on how to grow it," Mr. Silbermann said. "It's a matter of scale. Retail tends to be a more consistent purchaser of product."
Among retailers, Whole Foods, Wegmans and Wild Oats work with small growers, are more experimental in nature and are advanced in offering prepared food, Mr. Silbermann said. Safeway and other retail chains have taken notice and are following suit in offering prepared food.
Mr. Silbermann said that he is encouraged by the partnerships PMA has struck with the National Restaurant Association and the Culinary Institute of America, organizations that offer a way to change "the way we go to market," he said. The CIA partnership came on big last fall, and the NRA relationship has grown closer in the past year, he said.
Collaborative efforts are creating a cumulative focus on taste and on understanding trends, Mr. Silbermann said.
Regarding the adoption of radio frequency identification technology in the produce industry, Mr. Silbermann said that while there are very clear benefits to be gained over the long term, it is going to take longer than expected. "With the exception of packaged products, we've hardly scratched the surface," Mr. Silbermann said. "But the trend is promising in that consumer and industry research over the last 10 years has relied more on fact- based data rather than smoke and mirrors."
PMA's "Heart and Soul" campaign has been effective and resonates with PMA's members, Mr. Silbermann said. The campaign "emphasizes the fact that in this business, people matter a lot more," he said.
The "globalization piece" is coming on with more international representation on its boards from buyers in other countries, Mr. Silbermann said. PMA "is doing more outreach than ever before," he said, adding that Australia is third in PMA membership after the United States and Canada.
As for the industry selling more produce, consumers clearly are saying they want produce that tastes great. The ongoing challenge is to find ways to accommodate what consumers say they want, Mr. Silbermann said. "The fact of the matter is that most innovation has been focused on yield and processing. A focus on taste has got a long way to go."
The industry prizes its ability to get product to look good - even more so at retail - but that can be at the sacrifice of taste. "Retail is drawn by high volume, so shelf appeal is more important," Mr. Silbermann said. "Foodservice is much more designer-based production."
The way to approach the problem is one of reverse engineering. "We need to start with the end product and think backward on how to grow it," Mr. Silbermann said. "It's a matter of scale. Retail tends to be a more consistent purchaser of product."
Among retailers, Whole Foods, Wegmans and Wild Oats work with small growers, are more experimental in nature and are advanced in offering prepared food, Mr. Silbermann said. Safeway and other retail chains have taken notice and are following suit in offering prepared food.
Mr. Silbermann said that he is encouraged by the partnerships PMA has struck with the National Restaurant Association and the Culinary Institute of America, organizations that offer a way to change "the way we go to market," he said. The CIA partnership came on big last fall, and the NRA relationship has grown closer in the past year, he said.
Collaborative efforts are creating a cumulative focus on taste and on understanding trends, Mr. Silbermann said.
Regarding the adoption of radio frequency identification technology in the produce industry, Mr. Silbermann said that while there are very clear benefits to be gained over the long term, it is going to take longer than expected. "With the exception of packaged products, we've hardly scratched the surface," Mr. Silbermann said. "But the trend is promising in that consumer and industry research over the last 10 years has relied more on fact- based data rather than smoke and mirrors."
