Politics and sustainability key issues at WGA convention
Politics and sustainability key issues at WGA convention
LA QUINTA, CA -- Western Growers Association's 83rd annual convention, held here Nov. 9-12, carried the theme "Produce, Parties & Politics," and featured a heavy dose of all three.
Kevin Andrew of Sun World International was elected chairman of the board Nov. 10. Mr. Andrew, who is chief operating officer of Sun World, based in Bakersfield, CA, succeeds outgoing Chairman of the Board Robert Gray, chief executive officer of Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. in Salinas, CA.
Politics took center stage at the Political Action Committee breakfast Tuesday, Nov. 11, which featured California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who has all but announced his candidacy for California governor in 2010.
Mr. Poizner is the current frontrunner to be the Republican candidate, and he laid out his agenda during his 30-minute talk, saying that he would focus his energies on growing the California economy, which currently faces an $11 billion budget deficit. His business-friendly platform was very popular to WGA members, as he argued that he would "completely overhaul the tax and revenue structure" of the state and would also "fix" the state's declining public school system.
Prior to the keynote address by Mr. Poizner, WGA political consultant Ken Khachigian did a post-mortem on the November elections. The long-time Republican party operative said that his party's future is in big trouble if it does not come up with a message that resonates with Hispanic voters.
Noting that the Hispanic population is growing very rapidly and that in this election Hispanics overwhelming supported President-elect Barack Obama, Mr. Khachigian said, "If we can't change that, we might as well fold up the tent and go home."
He said that many factors combined to doom Sen. John McCain's campaign -- most notably his own missteps, including the mishandling of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, his mis-statements about the economy and his "ill- advised" plan to "suspend his campaign" during the midst of the economic crisis.
Mr. Khachigian said that it was a "perfect storm" of events that led the Arizona senator to be the nominee of the Republican Party, and he needed another perfect set of circumstances to win, which, of course, did not happen.
On the "produce" leg of the three-pronged convention theme, sustainability was the standard bearer. A two-part workshop Nov. 11 explored both theory and practicality as the movement was analyzed from many different angles.
Mr. Gray served as moderator and set the stage by trying to define the concept. In fact, defining sustainability is one of the major efforts currently being undertaken by the industry. Speaker after speaker discussed what sustainability is and, more important, what they would like it to be. There is a general fear that legislation could materialize that sets specific standards. Instead, the panel, which included a broad range of interests ranging from growers to environmentalists, seemed to agree that sustainability efforts should be focused on results.
There is a consensus that virtually everyone throughout the supply chain should be examining his or her own operations and working toward ways to improve what they do from an environmental standpoint. There is also a belief an important economic benefit to sustainable practices that is driving the movement for the simple reason that most sustainable efforts involve reduction in one way or another - and reduction means using fewer resources, which, by definition, should cost less.
For example, Tim York of Markon Cooperative Inc. in Salinas, CA, said that adopting more-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting systems reduces energy use and reduces costs. Likewise, his company raised the temperature in its coolers one degree, which saved energy and produced an 8 percent cost saving.
Jonathan Kaplan of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a well-known environmental group, said that his group is working with the agricultural industry to define the sustainability movement by the "real environmental outcomes" that it achieves. He said that "just because you have a three-ring binder and a plan doesn't mean the water or the air is getting any cleaner."
The consensus of the panel seemed to be summed up by Mr. Gray, who said that sustainability should be a continual journey with each practitioner examining his or her own operations and constantly making environmental improvements. There also was a general agreement that the maze of audits that have plagued the food-safety debate is not welcome in the sustainability argument.
While it is agreed that sustainability audits are in the industry's future, there is a great desire to move together down that path. But Mr. York cautioned that the industry needs to move quickly or companies like Markon will move forward as they did with food safety.
Hank Giclas, vice president of strategic planning, science and technology for WGA, said that there is a plethora of both private and public companies, agencies and organizations developing both standards and certification systems. He said that those marketplace endeavors need to be corralled so that they do not add undue costs to suppliers.
Mr. Giclas said that the supply side is very concerned that multiple standards and multiple certification plans will emerge just as they have in the food- safety arena. That concern is the reason that WGA is involved in the quasi- government solution being developed by the American National Standards Institute. That effort is expected to produce a sustainability standard for agriculture within a year.
Kevin Andrew of Sun World International was elected chairman of the board Nov. 10. Mr. Andrew, who is chief operating officer of Sun World, based in Bakersfield, CA, succeeds outgoing Chairman of the Board Robert Gray, chief executive officer of Duda Farm Fresh Foods Inc. in Salinas, CA.
Politics took center stage at the Political Action Committee breakfast Tuesday, Nov. 11, which featured California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, who has all but announced his candidacy for California governor in 2010.
Mr. Poizner is the current frontrunner to be the Republican candidate, and he laid out his agenda during his 30-minute talk, saying that he would focus his energies on growing the California economy, which currently faces an $11 billion budget deficit. His business-friendly platform was very popular to WGA members, as he argued that he would "completely overhaul the tax and revenue structure" of the state and would also "fix" the state's declining public school system.
Prior to the keynote address by Mr. Poizner, WGA political consultant Ken Khachigian did a post-mortem on the November elections. The long-time Republican party operative said that his party's future is in big trouble if it does not come up with a message that resonates with Hispanic voters.
Noting that the Hispanic population is growing very rapidly and that in this election Hispanics overwhelming supported President-elect Barack Obama, Mr. Khachigian said, "If we can't change that, we might as well fold up the tent and go home."
He said that many factors combined to doom Sen. John McCain's campaign -- most notably his own missteps, including the mishandling of vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin, his mis-statements about the economy and his "ill- advised" plan to "suspend his campaign" during the midst of the economic crisis.
Mr. Khachigian said that it was a "perfect storm" of events that led the Arizona senator to be the nominee of the Republican Party, and he needed another perfect set of circumstances to win, which, of course, did not happen.
On the "produce" leg of the three-pronged convention theme, sustainability was the standard bearer. A two-part workshop Nov. 11 explored both theory and practicality as the movement was analyzed from many different angles.
Mr. Gray served as moderator and set the stage by trying to define the concept. In fact, defining sustainability is one of the major efforts currently being undertaken by the industry. Speaker after speaker discussed what sustainability is and, more important, what they would like it to be. There is a general fear that legislation could materialize that sets specific standards. Instead, the panel, which included a broad range of interests ranging from growers to environmentalists, seemed to agree that sustainability efforts should be focused on results.
There is a consensus that virtually everyone throughout the supply chain should be examining his or her own operations and working toward ways to improve what they do from an environmental standpoint. There is also a belief an important economic benefit to sustainable practices that is driving the movement for the simple reason that most sustainable efforts involve reduction in one way or another - and reduction means using fewer resources, which, by definition, should cost less.
For example, Tim York of Markon Cooperative Inc. in Salinas, CA, said that adopting more-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting systems reduces energy use and reduces costs. Likewise, his company raised the temperature in its coolers one degree, which saved energy and produced an 8 percent cost saving.
Jonathan Kaplan of the Natural Resources Defense Council, a well-known environmental group, said that his group is working with the agricultural industry to define the sustainability movement by the "real environmental outcomes" that it achieves. He said that "just because you have a three-ring binder and a plan doesn't mean the water or the air is getting any cleaner."
The consensus of the panel seemed to be summed up by Mr. Gray, who said that sustainability should be a continual journey with each practitioner examining his or her own operations and constantly making environmental improvements. There also was a general agreement that the maze of audits that have plagued the food-safety debate is not welcome in the sustainability argument.
While it is agreed that sustainability audits are in the industry's future, there is a great desire to move together down that path. But Mr. York cautioned that the industry needs to move quickly or companies like Markon will move forward as they did with food safety.
Hank Giclas, vice president of strategic planning, science and technology for WGA, said that there is a plethora of both private and public companies, agencies and organizations developing both standards and certification systems. He said that those marketplace endeavors need to be corralled so that they do not add undue costs to suppliers.
Mr. Giclas said that the supply side is very concerned that multiple standards and multiple certification plans will emerge just as they have in the food- safety arena. That concern is the reason that WGA is involved in the quasi- government solution being developed by the American National Standards Institute. That effort is expected to produce a sustainability standard for agriculture within a year.
