Western Growers Response to Reagan Udall Report: Roadmap to Produce Safety

Increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables is key to improved public health. Yet, public investment in produce safety continues to take a backseat in federal funding and policy. Funding to advance fresh produce safety has never matched the vital role fresh fruits and vegetables play in our nation’s nutritional security.

Simply put, there is little government infrastructure supporting food safety for fresh produce, and recent changes in funding only serve to weaken what little infrastructure remains.

Domestic farming has become increasingly complex with extreme weather events, increased regulatory requirements, economic constraints and global trade. To ensure continuous improvement in food safety, technical support and resources are needed for the thousands of fresh produce growers across the country. These boots on the ground needs include education and outreach on food safety best practices, research to resolve specific regional challenges and technical support for food safety events or following natural disasters. The absence of this infrastructure threatens the long-term business sustainability of domestic production.

Today, extension specialists for fresh produce are a scarce and highly valued resource.  They work tirelessly to assure practical strategies to enhance food safety and promote productivity. Much more investment in extension resources is needed and the auxiliary resources necessary to support them.

The solution lies in resolving the following:

• Long-term consistent federal funding for extension, education and outreach that is supplemented by state, industry and other sources
• Research that is focused on both advancing general understanding of how to mitigate microbiological and environmental contaminants but also strategies that apply this knowledge at the farm level
• Technical resources ready to respond to food safety events and following natural disasters to prevent the tragedy of foodborne illness and preserve the economic viability of affected farms.

Failure to improve public investment in fresh produce safety leaves growers without affordable access to the critical information that supports safe production. Ultimately, this leaves growers economically vulnerable to foreign competitors and fresh produce at risk for potential contamination. Consumers deserve to feel confident in the safety of the fruits and vegetables they are encouraged to consume.