Western Growers’ Board of Directors voted unanimously Oct. 26, 2006 to pursue a California Marketing Agreement, which would require all signatory leafy greens handlers to only purchase product from growers who adhere to newly developed Leafy Greens Good Agricultural Practices.

This approach has initially proved successful with the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s certification, February 13, 2007, of what is now known as the Leafy Greens Handler Marketing Agreement.  Under the binding, government-enforced California Leafy Greens Handler Marketing Agreement, a mass quantity of leafy greens handlers in the state have signed on, representing nearly 100 percent of the leafy greens grown in California.

The Leafy Greens Handler Marketing Agreement is merely the first step in a multi-pronged approach to enhance food safety by Western Growers.  Also on Oct. 26, 2006, Western Growers’ Board of Directors decided that in addition to a marketing agreement, which would prove to be a timely, substantive approach, it was also in the industry’s best interest to pursue a California Marketing Order and a mandatory federal regulatory approach to enhance food safety.

For more information about the MA or MO, and for all media inquiries and requests, please call Western Growers Director of Communications Wendy Fink-Weber at 949-885-2256 (wweber@WGA.com) or Western Growers Communications Manager Paul Simonds at 949-885-2257 (psimonds@wga.com).