Safety In Numbers

When the California Tomato Commission (CTC) announced last fall that it was downsizing — paring away its marketing and government affairs programs to focus solely on research — it was a bit discouraging. That’s not to say that research is unimportant, of course. And certainly, groups should find what they do best and commit themselves to that 100%.

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Still, when an organization as prominent as the CTC pulls the plug on programs benefiting all of the state’s tomato growers, it sends a negative message.
As a publication, American Vegetable Grower has always advocated in the strongest terms for cooperative efforts among growers. We believe that a group’s actions speak louder than an individual’s words.

So, it was a pleasant surprise to see that just six months later, some of those tomato growers are getting together to do a little organizing of their own. Not to fill the gap left by CTC, but rather to collectively address one of the most pressing issues they face: food safety.

Taking The Lead

The newly formed (and simply but aptly named) California Tomato Farmers is a voluntary cooperative of growers representing 90% of the boxes of fresh-market tomatoes packed in California. Its immediate mission: address the food safety concerns of customers and consumers.

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“With food safety and quality issues, we felt it was better to be proactive rather than reactive,” said Dean Janssen, general manager of Ace Tomato Co. in Manteca, CA, one of the founding members of California Tomato Farmers.

Led by president Ed Beckman — perhaps not-so-coincidentally the former president of the CTC — the group is wasting no time getting started. Members have agreed that their 2007 tomato crops will meet stringent food safety standards based on FDA Good Agricultural Practices as well as the requirements of their most demanding customers. To verify they’re meeting these guidelines, each member must participate in mandatory third-party audits of both their field and packinghouse practices by USDA inspectors.

And that’s just a start for the co-op. Members will also agree on standards for product quality, environmental stewardship, and fair treatment of workers.

Many Growers, One Message

Will these guidelines require significant changes or big new investments for co-op members? Probably not. The operations that have signed on with California Tomato Farmers are all solid, established operations. Having the rules in place provides a good check to ensure you’re doing everything right, but these folks are likely already practicing what they’re preaching.

The bigger benefit is that their combined message will get the attention of a lot more people than any one of these growers could do on their own. It’s a public statement that mem

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