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PHOTO: LEANDRO CHAVIRA
Food safety and marketing, the subjects of the two main stories in this issue, have more in common than you would think.
Both require a company to be forward thinking and make what is often a
substantial proactive investment with the bigger picture in mind. They also
are both essential to survival—both of a business and, in some cases of food
safety, human life itself.
In a discussion about food safety, a friend of mine once
brought a sobering image to mind that every food processor
should think about. He said, “Imagine that you were brought
to trial because your product had led to the death of some-
one’s child. When asked if you did everything possible you
could to prevent this from happening, could you truthfully
answer ‘yes’? Or were corners cut or issues put on the back
burner because of cost or lack of time?”
While those in the food industry cannot eliminate all
risks, there are many steps that can be taken to reduce risks significantly, and
it’s the food industry’s responsibility to educate ourselves and take these
steps. In our cover story, Will Daniels, Earthbound Farm’s SVP of operations
and organic integrity, breaks down how the company turned a food safety cri-
sis into inspiration to drive change. Additionally, Clifford Coles, food safety
expert (and celebrity—he just appeared on the show The Doctors), offers a list
of steps to take at the farm and processor levels to ensure that you are proac-
tively promoting food safety.
The second big-picture story of this issue is on the Organic Research and
Promotion Program, featured in Dialogue. Also known as a promotion order,
this program will pool funds from the industry to get the word out about organic on a national level. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this! As
someone who spent years in the advertising world (actually working for the
firm that created “Got Milk?”) and has seen the power a national marketing
campaign can have, I have been championing this idea since I joined the organic industry.
If we really want to compete with conventional and reach the mainstream,
we need to play on the same field and market ourselves in the same places
they do— TV, print, etc.… Not many have millions to do a major ad campaign on our own, but together we can get the message out. Yes, this may
mean an additional expense, but once again, it is time to be proactive and
take steps needed to reach out to consumers to ensure a healthy future for
the organic industry, and therein a healthier future for all and the planet as
well.
While both food safety and marketing are easy to ignore when times are
good, I hope this issue of Organic Processing helps inform you and inspires you
to take a proactive approach to both.
Chief Executive Officer Don Meeker
Publisher Stacy Atchison
Advertising Manager Bobby Meeker
Editorial Director Kathryn Schuett
Art Director Craig Van Wechel
Circulation Manager Andrea Karges
Administrative Manager Allison Demmert
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Printed on recycled paper.
Kat Schuett
Editorial Director
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Organic Processing
provides an independent forum for
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