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GOURMET NEWS APRIL 2017 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 6 Organic Producers Identify Farm Bill Priorities More than 500 organic stakeholders across 45 states weighed in on issues they see as critical to the organic sector as part of a comprehensive farm bill survey conducted by the Organic Trade Association (OTA) in the lead up to Congress beginning debate on the 2018 Farm Bill. Organic fruit and vegetable growers, grains and oilseed farmers, livestock and poultry producers, dairy farmers, vineyard owners and flower growers, along with or- ganic processors, food makers, distributors and other organic operations answered ques- tions concerning barriers they face in their organic operations – from regulatory, re- search and marketing, to production and in- vestment barriers. Survey respondents also evaluated the effectiveness of existing pro- grams geared towards the organic sector. In preparation for developing its advocacy work on the next Farm Bill, OTA partnered with members of OTA's Farmers Advisory Council and other organic organizations – 17 of them – to poll stakeholders directly on issues. "The $50 billion-a-year organic industry has earned a seat at the farm bill table as one of the bright spots in the farm econ- omy. Organic farmers, ranchers, handlers, and food and textile makers add measura- ble value to rural economies, creating jobs and raising incomes – and they do this by responding to consumers' interest in how their food is grown and made," said Laura Batcha, CEO and Executive Director of the Organic Trade Association. "We want to build on the success of past farm bills and focus on expanding the production base, supporting successful organic farmers and ensuring healthy markets." The Farm Bill, a five-year omnibus bill that sets policy for commodity support and risk management, publicly funded agricultural research, rural development, conservation and nutritional support programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro- gram), is set to expire in September 2018. Survey participants cited lack of univer- sity or professional programs focusing on or- ganic processing and technology, and lack of consumer awareness of organic's benefits and value as critical challenges for both or- ganic producers and handlers. Specific pro- ducer concerns were the cost of buying land and the cost and availability of labor. Or- ganic processors and food makers said a pressing issue is the lack of dependable sup- ply of domestic organic raw materials. Batcha said OTA is now using the infor- mation obtained in the survey to build a well-vetted farm bill platform with addi- tional input from OTA task forces and councils. Efforts will then focus on educat- ing Congress and the Administration about the importance of America's almost $50 bil- lion organic industry, the priorities of the country's more than 20,000 organic opera- tors and the expectations of millions of or- ganic consumers. In addition to the Organic Farming Re- search Foundation, the partners in the sur- vey were the Washington State Department of Agriculture, Oregon Tilth, Tilth Producers of Washington, CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers), Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative, Montana Organic Association, Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service, Florida Organic Grow- ers, Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Asso- ciation, Pennsylvania Certified Organic, Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative/Organic Prairie, Mid-America Organic Association, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners, Provender Alliance, Organic Seed Alliance and Quality Assurance International. GN Demand to Grow for Meat Packaged in Pouches Demand for pouches used in meat packag- ing is forecast to climb 5.3 percent per year to $220 million in 2021, with unit gains ex- pected to advance 3 percent per year to 1.6 billion units. Above average gains will be driven by the growing preference for prod- ucts that make meal preparation more con- venient. These and other trends are presented in "Meat Packaging Market in the US," a new study from The Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based industry re- search firm. Stand-up pouches are well-positioned for growth in the frozen meat and jerky sec- tors, while retort pouches will continue to see more use in the packaging of processed meat. However, many conversions have al- ready occurred, mitigating gains somewhat going forward. According to Analyst Katie Wieser, "Pouches have a number of advantages and disadvantages that impact their position in meat packaging." For processed meats, the ability to be easily displayed is a key benefit, resulting in greater use of stand-up and peg- gable formats and high-quality printing. Ad- ditionally, the ability to integrate value-added features has allowed pouches to gain share in all major markets for meat packaging. However, cost and slower production speeds will limit gains for many processed meat applications. Furthermore, the pack- aging of ready-to-eat meat products in pouches is not feasible in many cases due to the fact that these often must remain up- right in their packages. GN Multicultural Continued from PAGE 1 store containing fresh items and spend 4 per- cent more per year on fresh items, resulting in a $2.2 billion opportunity for retailers. For many multicultural families, fresh food is a di- etary staple. The multicultural preference for fresh comes from cooking and eating norms that centrally reflect the unique cultures of African Americans, Asian Americans and His- panics. That said, the allure of multicultural flavors and desire for fresh food are influenc- ing a wider range of shoppers, and becoming a key driving force for fresh growth. "In order to tap this critical market, retailers need to rethink their delivery and assortment strategies of fresh products being offered to today's increasingly multicultural shoppers," said Courtney Jones, Vice President of Multi- cultural Growth and Strategy at Nielsen. "To be successful, retailers must understand the importance that culturally relevant, fresh of- ferings play in the multicultural shopper land- scape. Retailers must also embrace the many layers of multicultural consumers and the un- deniable 'halo effect' that those consumers are having on mainstream non-Hispanic white shoppers. The multicultural consumer covers a broad spectrum, from multi-generational families to Millennials, to Asian American, African American and Hispanic subgroups that have been influenced by distinct global culinary traditions. Retailers must consider the multi-ethnic tastes of their current and de- sired customers and recognize that the palates that favor multicultural flavors are influencing the taste preferences of non-Hispanic whites and society at large." The report's key findings include the no- tion that multicultural flavors have moved into the mainstream for the deli department and continue to grow, also attracting non- Hispanic white shoppers who are inspired by the ethnic flavors found in the deli. Multi- cultural consumers are taking advantage of the quick and easy meal solutions and meals for large families within the deli department. In the produce department, all kinds of shoppers are being inspired by the produce used in culinary traditions other than their own, and social media influences, television cooking programs and popular restaurant flavor trends are infiltrating the produce aisle. For example, the growth of habañero, with items popping like habañero grilled vegetable and even habañero margaritas. Nielsen's research found that multicultural consumers spend more in meat and seafood departments than any other fresh depart- ment. Within the seafood department, mul- ticultural households spend $62 a year, compared to non-Hispanic white households at just $43. Multicultural consumers are less willing to purchase branded fresh meat and seafood items; instead there is preference to- wards made-to-order, unbranded meat prod- ucts, typically prepared behind the counter. The bakery offers the biggest opportu- nity for multicultural consumers, who spend only 9.8 percent of their fresh dollars on bakery items, according to Nielsen, which suggests in the report that the bak- ery's proximity to the deli should be lever- aged to create strong cross-department connections for multicultural shoppers across multiple entertaining categories. GN

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