By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A proposed marketing agreement to govern the production, handling and manufacturing of leafy green vegetables is creating a stir among agricultural officials.

Advocates tout the proposed USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Leafy Green Marketing Agreement (NLGMA) as a method to minimize the potential for microbial contamination, thus improving customer confidence in leafy green vegetables in the marketplace. But opponents claim it would give false assurances to consumers about the safety of leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce and cabbage.

The USDA recently announced its proposal to create a voluntary NLGMA that would assist all segments of the leafy greens industry in meeting commercial food quality and safety requirements. The next step is a public comment period.

All comments are due by July 28. If the majority of the comments are favorable, the marketing agreement will be adopted by the secretary of agriculture.

“This proposed agreement and governance structure provides an opportunity for farmers, handlers and retailers of all sizes to work together and develop a practical program,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “We are striving to create a voluntary program so that all types of farmers and handlers can more effectively comply with quality and food safety requirements.”
To reflect the different climates, production practices and markets handling leafy green produce, USDA is proposing eight regional zones be represented on a governing board. The proposal calls for diverse representation – from geography to farm size – among its leadership, and would include food safety experts from other agencies within USDA, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and others.

The 26 board members to be appointed by the USDA secretary include 12 handlers, 10 farmers, one importer, one retailer, one food service representative and one member of the public.

The secretary would also appoint a technical review committee to assist this board in the development of technical requirements commonly referred to as Good Agricultural Practices, Good Handling Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices.

The agreement would be voluntary, but once a company chooses to participate, compliance would be mandatory for one crop year. After one year, growers would have the opportunity to withdraw or opt out of the program.
The Produce Marketing Assoc. (PMA) supports the effort, lauding it as a method to help the industry’s leafy green producers continue to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.

The produce industry has already seen the success of California and Arizona leafy greens marketing agreements, and PMA supports this similar national effort that would provide regional flexibility.

“When it comes to food safety, every company throughout the supply chain must commit to do its part to ensure public health, and this proposal crosses geographic boundaries, company size and type of production method,” said Mike O’Brien, PMA board chair and vice president of produce for Schnuck Markets, Inc.

“A national marketing agreement facilitates a level playing field for companies that voluntarily adhere to it and demonstrates their commitment to the industry, food safety and public health.”

The National Organic Coalition (NOC), however, calls the proposal “the wrong approach” to food safety concerns. “We agree with the need to address food safety issues, but attempting to address the issue through these means is taking the wrong avenue,” said NOC Legislative Director Steve Etka.
“We have seen proponents of this measure hold it up as a solution to food safety concerns. Yet, in states with agreements that served as the model for this proposal, farming practices have been imposed in the guise of food safety, which have actually made matters worse.”

Dave Miedema is a grower and shipper of cabbage, squash, sweet corn, peppers and other vegetables in Byron Center, Mich. He fears the agreement would establish a governance structure under which large leafy greens growers and produce handlers would hold the power to establish safety rules governing growing and handling practices for all producers.

“I don’t feel we have a problem,” Miedema said, explaining the issue stems from an E. coli outbreak in produce grown on the nation’s West Coast.
He said it is “unfair” to put small growers in a position where they have to go through more in-depth testing for a problem that does not exist on their farms. Also, he said the current audit structure is adequate to ensure safety.
“There are so many small growers – it would really hurt them. My concern is that it will be much more costly for growers,” he said. “It seems like we could solve the problem by coming up with a uniform standard that everyone would have to adhere to. It’s really a struggle for smaller growers to comply with those types of regulations.”

Under the plan, money collected from the checkoff would be paid into a fund to cover the cost of testing personnel and other mandates of the agreement.
“The agreement puts the largest, conventional producer handlers in the driver’s seat for writing food safety standards, with the goal to establish those standards as the industry norm,” Etka said.

All interested parties, including small, organic and diversified operations, are encouraged to submit comments by July 28 about the proposal to establish the NLGMA. Go to the AMS website at www.ams.usda.gov for more information and to learn how to submit a comment.