WASHINGTON — With the childhood nutrition law set to expire Sept. 30, the timing of the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Public Policy Conference, which brings produce industry leaders to Capitol Hill, could not be better.

The Sept. 28-30 meeting marks the 20th anniversary of the WPPC. About 100 produce leaders attended the first conference in 1995, and United Fresh expects nearly 600 leaders to urge action on a range of pressing legislative issues.

United Fresh is making some changes to the conference format at the same time keeping with its traditional focus of sitting with lawmakers at a critical time when Congress has few days left to make decisions that will affect the industry.

Healthier school meals

The top focus will be making sure Congress does not change the nutrition law’s focus on healthier school meals, Smart Snacks in Schools and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. The Senate Agriculture Committee is scheduled to mark up its bipartisan reauthorization bill Sept. 17, but still no word from the House on its next steps, said Robert Guenther, senior vice president of public policy at United Fresh.

“We don’t want to see it rolled back,” he said, referring to the hard-fought provision that every school meal includes at least one-half cup of a fruit or vegetable.

Some 32 million children are fed each day under the federal programs, and United Fresh said more than 4,000 salad bars are in schools nationwide.

For the first time, United Fresh plans to invite at least 10 school nutrition directors from key schools in key states to accompany produce growers when they visit representatives and senators, Guenther said.

United Fresh also is holding a session on school nutrition with Donna Martin, school nutrition director for Burke County Board of Education in Waynesboro, GA; Eric Goldstein, chief executive officer with the New York City Department of Education; and Bertrand Weber, business manager with the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Drought concerns

The five-year drought is another top-shelf political issue in need of a legislative solution. The House passed its Republican-backed emergency drought relief bill in July, and California Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D) and Barbara Boxer (D) introduced their version that would assist drought-stricken communities.

“We see it as a growing problem that’s not just a California issue, it’s affecting the entire produce industry at this point,” said Guenther, who called for modernizing the outdated federal water standard.

United Fresh is holding a session on the regulatory and business issues facing California produce moderated by Tom Deardorff, president of Deardorff Family Farms. Speakers include Barry Bedwell, president and chief executive officer of California Fresh Fruit Association; Jim Bogart, president and general counsel of the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California; and Joel Nelsen, president and CEO of California Citrus Mutual.

FSMA

This year’s WPPC meeting comes at another critical junction as the FDA is slated to publish the final Food Safety Modernization Act preventive control rules the first week of September, allowing United Fresh staff time to wade through the regulations before the meeting.

Guenther said United Fresh would be closely scrutinizing the rules, which a court order dictated FDA must release by Aug. 31, for FDA’s new requirements on product testing and the definition of farm and facility.

Instead of bussing members to FDA, United Fresh has invited FDA staff to the conference to explain the new rules in two sessions on Sept. 29.

FDA Policy Analyst Esther Bleicher will field questions on how the rules will affect packinghouses, wholesale warehouses and retail/foodservice distribution facilities. Later that day, Priya Rathnam, FDA’s supervisory consumer safety officer, and Bob Ehart, senior policy and science advisor at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, will discuss looming issues in enforcing the regulations.

Global trade and more

United Fresh is holding another session on global trade and port issues with Peter Friedman, executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, John Keeling, executive vice president and CEO, National Potato Council, Tyson Redpath, senior vice president of The Russell Group, and Chris Schlect, president of the Northwest Horticultural Council.

WPPC attendees will be asking Congress to act on a long-term highway transportation bill and on immigration reform.

The passionate debate on immigration stemming from the Republican presidential candidates may be resurrecting interest on immigration reform in Congress, Guenther said. Another WPPC session focuses on policy issues brewing over genetically modified produce.

Not listed on this year’s agenda, however, is the popular annual Fresh Festival on Capitol Hill, an evening reception with a dozen exhibitors that allows congressional staff to mingle with WPPC attendees.

“We decided to try something new,” Guenther said, adding that United Fresh may schedule it for the spring meeting. In the meantime, industry members are encouraged to attend the political action fundraiser at Union Station.

Other speakers at the three-day meeting include Rep. David Valadao (R-CA), Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Tucker Carlson, co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend.

Keynote speaker General Michael Hayden, former director of both the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, will talk provide an “outside of Washington” view on global issues that may be impacting the business economy in five to 10 years, Guenther said.