Category: Produce Blueprints
Trading Assistance: Reefer Carriers and PACA, what freight folks need to know
- Produce Blueprints
In this article, we’re going to try to demystify PACA and explain when it is—and when it is not—relevant to the transportation of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Green Growth: The importance of organic promotion
- Produce Blueprints
How important is promotion to organic sales? Our contributors confirm marketing activity can be key to solid retail sales.
Green Growth: Extending the organic category
- Produce Blueprints
Origin Organic Farms, a Delta, BC-based greenhouse operation, began all-organic production in 2006 and launched its OriginO brand the next year.
Green Growth: Organic makes regional gains
- Produce Blueprints
Sales of organic fruits and vegetables once varied widely from region to region across the United States, but those differences are no longer so dramatic, according to the USDA.
Green Growth: Organics continue to flourish
- Produce Blueprints
More than two decades after the U.S. Department of Agriculture implemented standards for organic production and processing, the category has zoomed from niche to mainstream status.
Chicago Spotlight: Something for everyone
- Produce Blueprints
Chicago, the Windy City, is located on Lake Michigan and is known for such landmarks as the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), Wrigley Field, deep dish pizza, hot dogs—and, increasingly, jalapeño peppers.
Certifications & Compliance: What’s to Come
- Produce Blueprints
As the produce industry and consumer choices evolve, the most important certifications may not exist yet.
Certifications & Compliance: Consumer Choices
- Produce Blueprints
So-called “lifestyle” certifications reflect consumers’ desires for products they can feel good about: organics, non-GMO items, the use of recycled materials, and environmentally friendly packaging and shipping, among others.
Certifications & Compliance: Corporate Responsibility
- Produce Blueprints
After food safety, the second major area of certification involves corporate responsibility.
Certifications & Compliance: Why they matter
- Produce Blueprints
Certifications have become a way of life for many businesses in the produce industry. Intended to provide outside assurance of quality, practices, and standards within the industry, they can include a wide number of subjects and targets.