United president challenges industry to double consumption
United president challenges industry to double consumption
LA MIRADA, CA If the produce industry changes its focus and alters the way it does business, it can double consumption of its products, according to Tom Stenzel, president and chief executive officer of the Washington, DC-based United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association.
Speaking at the Oct. 5 bimonthly luncheon meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, here, Mr. Stenzel told the 200 members of the industry in attendance that the produce industry has to "take control of its destiny" by proactively changing public policy. He argued that producing brochures urging people to eat more fruits and vegetables such as the 5 A Day campaign has been largely unsuccessful in increasing consumption. He said that a fundamental shift in the way the industry does business is needed.
Mr. Stenzel pointed to a number of government programs that, if successfully accessed, would do much more to move the consumption needle than a decade of simply urging people to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Illustrating his point, he said that the 5 A Day campaign has been working hard for 14 years, and in that time period daily per-capita consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased by less than one-half of a serving.
In contrast, he said that the USDA's pilot fresh fruit and vegetable snack program, in which free fruit is delivered to kids in selective schools, has increased consumption by one serving for those eligible students. Extrapolating the numbers, Mr. Stenzel said that if the program can be extended to just 100 schools in each state and the same per-capita consumption increase follows, the industry will have significantly marched forward.
He used numbers to make the same point about the Women, Infants & Children feeding program. For the past 30 years, the USDA has been providing millions of underprivileged women and children with food vouchers. Those vouchers provide plenty of milk, eggs and other dairy products but no fruits and vegetables. Just a minor adjustment, allowing for $8-$10 per month per recipient for fruit and vegetable consumption, would put more than $600 million per year in the coffers of the industry, he said.
Mr. Stenzel had other examples, but his main point remained the same: changing public policy to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to increase the consumption of those products in the United States. While this will be a difficult task as groups such as the dairy industry have powerful lobbyists against it Mr. Stenzel said that the timing couldnt be better. Rising health-care costs and concerns about obesity are causing many people to question U.S. food policy. In addition, countries all over the world especially in Europe are embracing the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Many of these countries are further along in this public policy debate than the United States and are beginning to reap the health rewards of encouraging their citizens to consume healthier foods.
Along with this public policy push, the United executive would also like to see the industry cooperate more and compete less.
He said that it shouldnt be about who gets the order, but that the different entities along the supply chain should form partnerships to increase consumption and enlarge the pie.
Speaking at the Oct. 5 bimonthly luncheon meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council, here, Mr. Stenzel told the 200 members of the industry in attendance that the produce industry has to "take control of its destiny" by proactively changing public policy. He argued that producing brochures urging people to eat more fruits and vegetables such as the 5 A Day campaign has been largely unsuccessful in increasing consumption. He said that a fundamental shift in the way the industry does business is needed.
Mr. Stenzel pointed to a number of government programs that, if successfully accessed, would do much more to move the consumption needle than a decade of simply urging people to eat more fruits and vegetables.
Illustrating his point, he said that the 5 A Day campaign has been working hard for 14 years, and in that time period daily per-capita consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased by less than one-half of a serving.
In contrast, he said that the USDA's pilot fresh fruit and vegetable snack program, in which free fruit is delivered to kids in selective schools, has increased consumption by one serving for those eligible students. Extrapolating the numbers, Mr. Stenzel said that if the program can be extended to just 100 schools in each state and the same per-capita consumption increase follows, the industry will have significantly marched forward.
He used numbers to make the same point about the Women, Infants & Children feeding program. For the past 30 years, the USDA has been providing millions of underprivileged women and children with food vouchers. Those vouchers provide plenty of milk, eggs and other dairy products but no fruits and vegetables. Just a minor adjustment, allowing for $8-$10 per month per recipient for fruit and vegetable consumption, would put more than $600 million per year in the coffers of the industry, he said.
Mr. Stenzel had other examples, but his main point remained the same: changing public policy to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables is the best way to increase the consumption of those products in the United States. While this will be a difficult task as groups such as the dairy industry have powerful lobbyists against it Mr. Stenzel said that the timing couldnt be better. Rising health-care costs and concerns about obesity are causing many people to question U.S. food policy. In addition, countries all over the world especially in Europe are embracing the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. Many of these countries are further along in this public policy debate than the United States and are beginning to reap the health rewards of encouraging their citizens to consume healthier foods.
Along with this public policy push, the United executive would also like to see the industry cooperate more and compete less.
He said that it shouldnt be about who gets the order, but that the different entities along the supply chain should form partnerships to increase consumption and enlarge the pie.
