Association tackles processor demands with a focus on food safety and environmental sustainability
One could almost look at it as a perfect storm of consumer expectations. As consumers today demand higher standards from the food production process, many producers are looking for anchors that can help them prove that the food they grow is, first and foremost, safe to eat. They are also seeking ways to show that it has been produced with respect to the bigger picture needs of the environment.
In many cases, producers' first encounters with these demands have been through the middlemen, such as processors, that buy their product directly. As processors raise their standards to reflect consumer demands, processing-dependent industries such as the potato industry are looking for ways to meet growing standards of on-farm food safety and environmental sustainability.
For the Potato Growers of Alberta (PGA), an ongoing solution has been a voluntary system of accountability which lays the groundwork for a broad-based marketing strategy. This system includes four steps: the successful completion of an Environmental Farm Plan (EFP), the following of food safety best practices, the keeping of field records, and completion of a certified chemical applicators course.
Vern Warkentin, PGA executive director, says these guidelines reflect the needs of many of today's processors and, as a result, are relevant to the vast majority of the province's potato producers. "Essentially, it's a matter of the market driving the production process," he says. "It's a recognition by our growers that there are certain steps that must be taken to assure our clients, the processors, that we are providing a safe, quality product. Participation in the EFP program is the environmental piece in that puzzle."
The development of the PGA's four-step process began around seven years ago when food safety issues were coming to the forefront in the agricultural community. "That, along with the Agricultural and Agri-Food Canada's emphasis on food safety, made it clear that producers were going to have to find ways to build accountability into their management practices," says Warkentin.
However, industry pressure has possibly been the strongest driver of the PGA's efforts. As these measures were being implemented, McDonald's approached prominent food processor McCain about introducing Alberta potato growers to the McDonald's Agricultural Production Program (MAPP). "This program had been in practice for several years in Europe and is focused on food safety, food quality and environmental sustainability."
Warkentin says the PGA program is worthwhile because it permits potato growers in Alberta to produce a product that is recognized in North America as first class and safe. "They now have a comprehensive package that allows them to be competitive in a tough marketplace and be secure in the knowledge that they are taking care of their environment now and into the future," he says.
PGA field record book. One of the PGA's first responses to the new processor-driven demand for accountability was its field record book, released in 2000 for its members in cooperation with Alberta Agriculture and Food and processor field staff. "It's designed to record all field operations for an entire production season, capturing essential information on chemical applications, crop nutrient programs, storage and pest management activities," says Ernie Van Boom, grower and PGA chairman.
On-Farm Food Safety. The PGA worked with the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC) to develop a comprehensive review of potato production at the farm level. The result, the On-Farm Food Safety Program, was introduced in 2004. Its focus is on management practices pertaining to identifying potential sources of contamination, avoiding known hazards, and detailed documentation of all on-farm food safety related activities.
"We felt it was really important for the industry to follow a single baseline of consistency in its practices," says Warkentin. "That's why we wanted to develop one cohesive program that tackled the majority of on-farm food safety in order to pre-empt people from going off and developing their own programs."
Environmental Farm Plan. The next step was to include an environmental component that would satisfy the MAPP criteria. For that, the PGA turned to the EFP program. Since its introduction to Alberta in 2002, the EFP program, which offers producers a tool to help them identify environmental strengths and weaknesses on their farms, has attracted a great deal of interest from producers in the province, with over 7,000 completing their own farm plans.
True to the program's commitment to offering a grassroots program delivered by producers for producers, the program partners with a number of industry and commodity groups to deliver its workshops. The PGA became one of those partners. "The PGA recognized the values of the EFP program from the discussions we were having with the processors," says Van Boom. "Because of the strong connection between EFP and the goals we were aiming for, it was a natural step for us to participate in the workshops."
Certified Chemical Applicators Course. The final component PGA took on to help its members become MAPP-compliant was the Certified Chemical Applicators Course. "In 2007, in cooperation with the processors and Lethbridge College, the PGA arranged to have at least one member or employee of each farm attend and complete this course," says Van Boom.
"Lethbridge College has been providing this course for some time and was a natural partner to bring our growers the expertise they need for the management and application of chemicals on their farms."
The PGA is one of 26 corporate members of the EFP program. Each member is entitled to one delegate, with each delegate eligible to serve on the board of directors. Information on the Environmental Farm Plan program, including workshop dates and locations across the province, is available by visiting the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company (AEFP) Web site at www.AlbertaEFP.com or by calling the AEFP toll-free line in Alberta at 1-866-844-2337.
This article is reprintable with credit to AEFP as follows "Reprinted courtesy of the Alberta Environmental Farm Plan Company; www.albertaEFP.com".
