Looking Ahead To 2012 With Optimism
February 8, 2012 
Those who subscribe to American and Western Fruit Grower’s weekly electronic newsletter may recall that at the beginning of this year, we posted a list of the most-viewed stories on GrowingProduce.com in 2011. As you might expect, the list was filled mostly with the kind of topics that make headlines for the wrong reasons. Whether it was bee shortages, pest pressure, lawsuits, or the never-ending immigration debate, bad news was often the news last year. As they say, “If it bleeds, it leads.”
With such negativity dominating the headlines, you might think 2012 would be no different. Not so fast, however. Based on last month’s cover story, in which we asked our audience to make their best guess on what the top industry-related headlines of 2012 might be, there’s quite a bit of optimism out there.
Sure, we received a few of the usual concerns such as pressure from invasive pests, or the passage of laws that would make it more difficult than ever for growers to find and retain a skilled labor force. At the same time, though, we received more than a few predictions of good things happening for this industry. Who knows — maybe 2012 will be the year that the biggest stories we write, and you read, will be those that reflect a positive outlook.
Optimism On Labor
In past years, the prospects of an upcoming election seemed to put a damper on the notion of any real progress being made on the passage of labor reform that would be beneficial to fruit and vegetable growers. This year, however, things get a little trickier.
The passage of E-Verify regulations in Georgia this past year, and comparable legislation being proposed on a state and national level, has no doubt made some people very nervous over what might happen this year. But if immigration reform becomes the hot-potato issue that it has been in years past, then it is highly unlikely that a national E-Verify law will gain any sort of traction this year. In fact, a number of people who responded to our call for predictions last month said that passage of a guest worker program might indeed trump E-Verify as the type of labor reform that actually makes progress. At the very least, many felt the two would go hand-in-hand, and any sort of labor-related legislation would involve both an E-Verify proposal and the inclusion of a guest worker provision.
This does not mean, however, that you should wait around for this type of law to be drafted. A number of industry organizations schedule state and national lobbying events during the spring. These are great opportunities for you to meet directly with lawmakers and tell them why a guest worker program is critical to the long-term viability of this country’s produce industry. One look at this month’s cover story tells you what could happen otherwise.
Eating Healthy
Labor was not the only area where the outlook for 2012 could tip in the right direction. Childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, yet there are opportunities for growers to get involved in reversing this trend. Whether it’s further growth in the “buy local” movement, a renewed focus on freshness and flavor, or the support of Michelle Obama’s garden and school lunch efforts, eating fruits and vegetables could actually become — dare we say it? — “cool” among kids.
This is another area where you could help write the headlines for 2012. Do whatever you can to make eating fruit an enjoyable experience for children. If you do that, you just might gain a new customer for life.
Keeping Pests In Check
One more area where the tide could indeed turn for growers in 2012 is in the battle against insect and disease pressure. This past year could even be considered a “small victory” over the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB). While it’s still a force to be reckoned with, growers in the Mid-Atlantic were more prepared this year, and as a result, the damage caused by BMSB was much lower. This is good news not just for these growers, but for the Washington apple industry as well. These folks have been closely monitoring what’s happening across the country, so they can be prepared. In fact, one person who responded to our headline question last month offered the following prediction: “Rapid Advances In Pheromones, Soft Chemistry, and Biological Control Mean Gains Made Against Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.”
At the end of this year, when we revisit the top headlines of 2012, let’s hope the stories getting the most attention are those that provide hope for the future of this industry.
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