Webinar: The Industry Responds to COVID-19

By Lise Millay Stevens  

In response to the enormous disruptions due to the burgeoning coronavirus epidemic, the Produce Marketing Association hosted the webinar The Industry Responds to COVID-19 on March 25. The speakers discussed supply-chain issues, food safety and the virus and advocacy efforts to ensure that produce growers are represented in federal and state legislation to deal with the emergency. Excerpts from the webinar are provided below.

 The event opened somberly, with CEO Cathy Burns affirming what has become patently clear to produce growers across the country and the globe: "Covid-19 has upended our world." But, Burns says, growers "are providing our consumers with a sense of normalcy" in delivering fresh, sanitary produce to national retail outlets. She also says that trust in the supply chain is "critical" and that the global supply chain is "healthy.

PMA Chief Science Officer Dr. Max Teplitski addressed misinformation about the coronavirus and food. "There is no evidence of food-borne transmission, " Dr. Teplitski says. And standard operating procedures in the food industry, Teplitski says, "maintain the highest food-safety standards." He says also that growers and consumers simply need to follow everyday precautions — "separate produce from meats and other items and scrub thoroughly" with a brush reserved for this purpose once the food is in the home. The scientist added that produce growers and other in the industry should review and become familiar with the CDC guidelines on food handling.

Hunt Shipman, principal and director of consulting firm Cornerstone and counsel to PMA in Washington, D.C., reminded attendees that the Department of Homeland Security has labeled agriculture and food as one of 16 industries critical to the nation's well-being. He noted there is no evidence that COVID-19 is transmitted on produce packaging, that he is working on behalf of PMA to allow food items bound for the food-service industry to be packaged into smaller units and sold in retail and other settings.  

Shipman says that he is continuing to work with legislators to ensure that PMA members get the financial government support packages needed in the industry at this harrowing time.

The half-hour session was followed by niche-specific breakout sessions. Today, PMA posted numerous resources for produce growers on the website broken down into sectors such as grocery/retail, foodservice and supply chain, among others. And PMA has announced a new townhall on the floral industry, slated for April 1.

To register for the upcoming April 1 townhall, view the association's resources, and other information, visit https://www.pma.com/.