Investing in the future

Did you know that, according to the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately 23.5 million people live in urban food deserts (areas where access to fresh, healthy foods is limited or nonexistent because there is no grocery store that sells those produces is located nearby) in the U.S.? In addition, kids see 5,500 ads for junk food per year, but only 100 ads for healthy foods, including fresh produce. That can make it tough for families living in food deserts to develop healthy eating habits even if that food is available.

One Ohio grower is trying to change that, one neighborhood at a time. The Rid-All Green Partnership set up shop in an urban, low-income neighborhood of Cleveland a few years ago with the hopes of establishing a sort of fresh food oasis for the community. The trio of men, all natives to the neighborhood, have already made an impact by not only making healthy food options available to the residents, but also through their community outreach, which includes business management training, gardening classes, volunteer opportunities and so much more. And they’re a successful, sustainable growing operation that’s willing to teach others how to recreate their experience in other food deserts. To read more, turn to page 8.

In October, I headed out to Anaheim, California for the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit, where it became apparent that getting everyone, especially kids, to eat more fruits and veggies is one of the industry’s top concerns. However, in the State of the Produce Industry presentation given by PMA president Cathy Burns and CEO Bryan Silbermann, they highlighted the need to reexamine the sustainability of our current food production system. If the global population reaches the estimated 9.1 billion by 2050, we will need to increase food production by 70 percent to keep up. We’ll be taking a deeper look into this issue next year in Produce Grower. Take a look at the show coverage on page 28, as well as a PMA initiative to get kids to eat more fresh produce on page 25.

Have an enjoyable holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

kvarga@gie.net | (216) 393-0290
Twitter: @Produce_Grower