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Paul Mastronardi of Mastronardi Produce® And Caitlin Tierney of Mastronardi Produce West® Discuss CEA For Upcoming Organic Produce Summit
Now, with the Organic Produce Summit (OPS) on the horizon, Paul Mastronardi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastronardi Produce® and Caitlin Tierney, Business Director, Mastronardi Produce West®, join me to discuss the impact of a growing area of investment in organics—controlled environment agriculture (CEA)—and how it is primed to accelerate fresh produce’s advantages and benefits in organics, conventional, and the greater food industry.
By Jordan Okumura
July 28, 2021
KINGSVILLE, ON - The dynamic, challenging, and volatile nature of the recent year and a half has revealed quite a few things about fresh produce to me—and one of them is that organics are not only here to stay, but continue to be an area of incredible growth opportunities. Now, with the Organic Produce Summit (OPS) on the horizon, Paul Mastronardi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastronardi Produce® and Caitlin Tierney, Business Director, Mastronardi Produce West®, join me to discuss the impact of a growing area of investment in organics—controlled environment agriculture (CEA)—and how it is primed to accelerate fresh produce’s advantages and benefits in organics, conventional, and the greater food industry.
Caitlin Tierney, Business Director of Western Operations, Mastronardi Produce®
“Consumer demand for flavorful fresh produce that is sustainably and locally grown is rising. As our population continues to grow, so too does the need for fresh, nutrient-rich produce. Traditional farming simply cannot keep up with this increasing demand,” Caitlin reflects, adding that to meet supply and reduce dependence on imported goods, CEA in greenhouses offers a more viable solution. “Greenhouses are also ten to twenty times more efficient and use up to ten times less water than conventional field farms.”
Caitlin leads me down the CEA path, sharing how consumers have come to expect a “season-less” pantry, and as a result of high-flavor, year-round varieties like Campari® and Flavor Bombs™, the company is seeing more retailers and foodservice operators move toward greenhouse-grown produce grown with innovative methods.
“By increasing quality, reducing the use of pesticides, growing locally, and bringing year-round supply, we can meet the needs of both consumers and retailers. A great example of this is our greenhouse in Coldwater, Michigan. Here, we use CEA techniques—such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM)—which significantly reduce the need for pesticides and provides local retailers and foodservice operators high-quality, flavorful produce that is grown year-round and is closer to them and their consumers,” Caitlin asserts.
Consumer demand for flavorful fresh produce that is sustainably and locally grown is rising, and SUNSET is helping to respond to that need
Costs also play a major role in how the conversation around CEA has progressed—a big topic that will be at play during OPS' "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? - Part 1" panel during the September 15-16 show, where Caitlin will be a panelist. To register for OPS, please click here!
“As we all know, produce has a shelf-life that impacts the entire supply chain. If you are a retailer located on the East Coast, your fresh produce could take up to a week to get to the closest distribution center. Transportation relies on liquid fuels, which are predicted to rise in price faster than the U.S. economic inflation rate,” Caitlin reveals. “Production in CEA facilities relies on electricity and natural gas, and these prices are predicted to remain on par with inflation. With CEA, you will get fresher, more reliable produce that’s not only grown closer to where consumers are buying it, but is also cost-sustainable for the supplier.”
A win-win, in Caitlin’s words.
To get an idea of the difference and the dynamic between greenhouse and CEA, Paul breaks it down for me this way.
Paul Mastronardi, President and Chief Executive Officer, Mastronardi Produce®
“CEA can be produced in several sectors of the agricultural industry: fish, dairy, produce, etc. It’s essentially the production of food while controlling certain aspects of the environment in order to reduce pest or disease, increase efficiencies, become more sustainable, and save costs,” he says.
Using technology and data, food can be produced with quality and flavor.
“Greenhouse farming does all of this with a focus on controlled variables. Variables like temperature, humidity, and sunlight are considered carefully when growing produce in greenhouses,” he adds. “And, while CEA and greenhouse growing are two separate methods of quality food production, CEA is regularly used in greenhouses because it adds significant benefits to crop production, sustainability, and increased quality and flavor.”
Mark your calendars for the Organic Produce Summit’s "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? -Part 1" session where Caitlin Tierney will be a panelist.
It is at this point in the conversation that he pauses to bring in the impact of vertical farming as well.
“Vertical farming, which is the process of growing crops in vertically stacked layers, is a relatively novel concept and has some significant headwinds to overcome before commercially viable. It’s currently a very small part of the market with significantly higher pricing, so it won’t replace, but will complement, existing food production with local, sustainably grown food,” Paul expresses.
This leads me to inquire how one would define the differences between vertical farming and greenhouse, and Paul details how a primary difference between vertical farming and greenhouse growing is output costs.
“Fully automated vertical farms rely exclusively on artificial lighting, which results in higher operating costs and capital expenditures. Our greenhouses, on the other hand, provide nutrient-dense produce grown sustainably, year-round without the high costs associated with energy. Why? Because we draw a lot of value from the fact that the production surfaces are mostly illuminated by the sun,” he shares.
And as Paul Mastronardi always says to his team, “there’s something magical about the sun.”
As OPS draws near, mark your calendars, build your schedule, and add Educational Breakout Session: "Growth of CEA: What's Real and What's Hype? -Part 1" for September 15!
Take Action: Schools Must Provide And Encourage Organic Food
As yet another study, “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries,” draws attention to the benefits of organic food for the learning young mind, it is important that schools provide organic food to students.
July 19, 2021
As yet another study, “Early life multiple exposures and child cognitive function: A multi-centric birth cohort study in six European countries,” draws attention to the benefits of organic food for the learning young mind, it is important that schools provide organic food to students. The study, conducted by Spanish researchers based at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, looks at a totality of all environmental hazards that children encounter, rather than individual lifestyle factors. As study co-author Jordi Júlvez, PhD, notes, “Healthy diets, including organic diets, are richer than fast food diets in nutrients necessary for the brain, such as fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants, which together may enhance cognitive function in childhood.”
Researchers find that children who eat organic food display higher scores measuring fluid intelligence and working memory. Lower scores on fluid intelligence tests are associated with children’s fast food intake, house crowding, and exposure to tobacco smoke. Lower scores on working memory tests were associated with exposure to poor indoor air quality.
This study adds to prior research finding that eating a conventional, chemical-intensive diet increases the presence of pesticides and their metabolites in an individual’s urine, including higher pesticide body burden from eating foods grown in chemical-intensive systems. In fact, because of their smaller size, children carry higher levels of glyphosate and other toxic pesticides in their body. Coupled with this research are multiple studies showing that many common pesticides result in developmental problems in children. Most recently, a 2019 Danish study found that higher concentrations of pyrethroid insecticides corresponded to higher rates of ADHD in children. There is also strong evidence that organophosphate insecticides, still widely used on fruits and vegetables in the U.S., are dropping children’s IQs on a national and global scale, costing billions to the economy in the form of lost brain power.
Studies show children’s developing organs create “early windows of great vulnerability” during which exposure to pesticides can cause great damage. This is supported by the findings of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which concludes, “Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity.”
Switching from a conventional diet of food produced with chemical-intensive practices to organic diet drastically reduces the levels of pesticides in one’s body, with one week on organic food showing a 70% reduction in glyphosate in the body, according to one study. Socio-economic factors play a large role in access to heathy organic foods, and the ability to provide the sort of environment that allows a child’s brain to flourish, so it is important that school lunches, which provide nutrition across socioeconomic classes, help to equalize learning potential. Pitting access and cost against the long-term success of a child’s development puts many parents in an untenable position. The preponderance of evidence points to organic food providing the nutrition needed to give young minds the start they need in life. But eating organic should not be a choice to make – all food should be grown with high quality standards that reject the use of brain-damaging pesticides and protect the wider environment.
VIDEO: What Makes Organic Food "Organic"?
Organic food is no longer a niche market. Sales of organic food products in the European Union have more than doubled over the last decade - from €16.3 billion in 2008 to €37.4 billion in 2018 - and demand continues to grow
The EU is the second-largest consumer of organic food in the world. - Copyright nsplaUsh
Organic food is no longer a niche market.
Sales of organic food products in the European Union have more than doubled over the last decade - from €16.3 billion in 2008 to €37.4 billion in 2018 - and demand continues to grow.
However, many Europeans are still unsure of what "organic" really means. Is it natural? Free of pesticides? Locally grown?
Well not exactly. Here are some of the conditions food products must meet in order to be considered organic in the EU:
No synthetic fertilizers
Natural fertilizers, such as compost and seaweed derivatives, are essential to maintaining fertile and healthy soil. So organic food must be grown with these products, rather than synthetic fertilizers that are used in conventional farming, and which tend to be made of harsher chemical ingredients including nitrogen compounds, phosphorus, and potassium.
"Organic farming improves soil structures and quality and enhances biodiversity. Studies have shown that organic farming present 30% more of biodiversity in the fields", explains Elena Panichi, Head of Unit at DG Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI).
No synthetic pesticides
Farmers need to fight weeds and pests. Organic farmers are only allowed to use naturally-derived pesticides, made from plants, animals, microorganisms, or minerals.
"These chemicals are of a natural origin. For instance, essential oils, plant extracts, that are listed in the relevant regulation, and are authorized, following a process that implies a scientific committee to assess the effect on the environment", says Panichi.
Organic farms also have techniques such as crop rotation or planting different crops on the same plot of land, to help to prevent soil-borne diseases.
Natural predators, such as ladybugs, can also be an effective method of pest control.
However, it is important to remember that just because something is “natural”, it doesn’t automatically make it harmless to either people or the environment.
No GMOs
To be certified as “organic”, food cannot contain products made from genetically modified crops.
This rule is the same for organic meat and other livestock products. Besides, the animals are to be raised on 100% organic feed.
Antibiotics as a last resort
The animals we eat, or whose products we consume, need to be kept disease-free. Many conventional farmers routinely use antibiotics for disease prevention. These can end up making their way into the food chain.
Excessive antibiotics are not good for people or animals because they can help create superbugs. Antimicrobial resistance is a global concern. Every year, around 33, 000 people die in the EU, due to infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
On organic farms, the use of antibiotics is severely restricted. Farmers control disease by limiting the number of animals they raise and using methods such as a healthy diet for their livestock. They are only allowed to use antibiotics when absolutely necessary for an animal's health, in order to avoid suffering, and when natural remedies such as phytotherapeutic and homeopathic medicines are not effective.
"If in conventional [farming], sometimes antibiotics are given as preventive tools, inorganics, antibiotics can be given as a last resort if there are no other methods to intervene. Normally, the higher animal welfare standards applied in organics already keep animals in a healthier status that prevent the use of antibiotics", explains Panichi.
However, studies have shown that antibiotic use on farms is on the decline. Sales of animal antibiotics in the EU have fallen by more than 34% between 2011 and 2018.
Better animal welfare
Organic farmers must provide the environmental conditions necessary for animals to express their natural behavior, such as adequate outdoor space. This is not compulsory in conventional farming.
There are additional rules such as the prohibition on caging or mutilation unless absolutely necessary for health reasons.
What "organic" doesn't mean
Locally grown
Europeans are the second largest consumers of organic in the world. Local supply can’t meet demand yet, so a large number of organic products are imported.
China, Ukraine, Dominican Republic and Ecuador are the main EU trade partners for organic food imports.
"Green" packaging
Words like “natural”, “green” or “eco” on labels and packaging do not necessarily mean a product is organic.
Healthy
There's a wide range of organic product on supermarket shelves, from burgers to pizzas, from cheese to wine. The health implications of consuming excess fats, salt, or sugar don't disappear just because a food product is organic. Too much fat, salt, and sugar are still bad for you, whether it is organic or not.
How can you be sure that the “organic” food you’re buying is actually organic?
EU organic logo European Commission
The most reliable way to know if a product is organic is if it has this official EU logo.
The white leaf on a green background means that EU rules on production, processing, handling, and distribution, have been followed and that the product contains at least 95% organic ingredients. This logo can only be used on products that have been certified by an authorized control agency or body.
Some countries have also created their own organic logos. They are optional and complementary to the EU's leaf. This is the French one, for instance.
French organic logo Agence Bio
New rules coming in 2022
EU rules on organic production will change soon. In 2022, Europe will have legislation with stricter controls.
Panichi believes it will bring a "substantial improvement" to the organic sector.
"We have to bear in mind that the new organic legislation is not a revolution, but it's an evolution of the organic legislation that started in the past years and has been kept evolving together with the sector".
The new legislation will harmonize rules for non-EU and EU producers. It will also simplify procedures for small farms in order to attract new producers, thanks to a new system of group validation.
The list of organic foods is expected to grow, with the addition of products such as salt and cork. The possibility of certifying insects as organic is also expected in the rules.
What is the future of organics?
"Surfaces in Europe are increasing or as well as all over the world, and they are increasing at a fast pace," says Panichi.
As part of its Farm To Fork strategy, the EU has committed to increasing organic production, with the goal of 25% of all agricultural land being used for organic farming by 2030. In 2019, it was only around 8%.
By 2030, Europe also aims to reduce the use of harmful chemicals and hazardous pesticides by 50%.
Buying organic food is still too expensive for many. One of Farm To Fork's main goals is to make healthy, sustainable food more accessible and affordable to all Europeans. A French family 2019 shows that a basket of eight organic fruits and eight organic vegetables is, on average, twice as expensive as a basket of non-organic products.
Note: The requirements listed in this article are just some of the conditions necessary for a product to be considered organic. If you want to know more about what is needed to obtain the green logo, please check the EU regulation.
Lead photo: EU organic logo European Commission
US: Public Oral Argument In Hydroponically-Grown Organic Food Lawsuit
CFS filed a petition requesting USDA to prohibit organic certification of hydroponic operations that do not work with or build soil in 2019
Source: Vertical Farming Daily
On Thursday, January 21st, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California will hear arguments in Center for Food Safety's (CFS) ongoing lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) "soil-less" loophole that permits the labeling of hydroponically-grown foods as USDA Certified Organic, even though the Organic statute and regulations clearly mandate all organic crop producers foster soil fertility in order to obtain organic certification.
WHAT: Oral Argument in Center for Food Safety's Lawsuit Challenging the Labeling of Hydroponically-Grown Foods as Organic
WHEN: Thursday, January 21, 2021, at 1:30 PM PST
(Note: the Court's afternoon session starts at 1:30 PM and is currently listed as the first of the two cases scheduled for hearing that afternoon, but the Court can hear the cases in any order it wishes).
WHERE: District Judge Richard Seeborg's Virtual Courtroom via Zoom.
CFS filed a petition requesting USDA to prohibit organic certification of hydroponic operations that do not work with or build soil in 2019. After USDA denied the petition, CFS, along with a coalition of organic farms and stakeholders, filed a lawsuit challenging USDA's decision to allow hydroponic operations to continue to be certified organic in March 2020. The lawsuit claims that hydroponic operations violate organic standards for failing to build healthy soils, and asks the Court to stop USDA from allowing hydroponically-produced crops to be sold under the USDA Organic label.
Hydroponic operations, or "hydroponics," describes methods of growing crops using water-based nutrient solutions without any soil. CFS's lawsuit cites the federal Organic Foods Production Act, which requires farms to build soil fertility in order to be certified organic. Hydroponics cannot comply with federal organic standards because hydroponic crops are not grown in soil. Allowing hydroponics to be certified organic is another attempt to weaken the integrity of the Organic label, and has resulted in market confusion and inconsistent organic certifications.
Thursday's hearing on summary judgment will be the only time the Court will hear oral arguments on whether hydroponic operations that do not work with soil meet the mandatory requirements to be sold under the USDA Organic label, and whether USDA violated the federal Organic Foods Production Act when it decided to exempt hydroponic operations from the Organic Label's soil-building requirements.
The plaintiff coalition in the lawsuit includes some of the longest-standing organic farms in the United States, including Swanton Berry Farm, Full Belly Farm, Durst Organic Growers, Terra Firma Farm, Jacobs Farm del Cabo, and Long Wind Farm, in addition to organic stakeholder organizations, such as organic certifier OneCert and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.
Publication date: Wed 20 Jan 2021
US - CHICAGO - VIDEO: Vertical Farm Wilder Fields Opening Calumet City Location
The anchor of a Calumet City strip mall at 1717 East-West Road left five years ago. Now a local small business plans to turn this red store -- Green
Wilder Fields Plans To Fully Open In 2023
By Leah Hope
CALUMET CITY, Ill. (WLS) -- A vertical farm is coming to the south suburbs.
The anchor of a Calumet City strip mall at 1717 East-West Road left five years ago. Now a local small business plans to turn this red store -- green.
"We'll be growing a whole range of leafy green, many of which may be familiar to the consumer, many of which the consumer has never tasted," Wilder Fields Founder Jake Counne said. "We're really excited to blow people's minds with varieties they've never had."
Wilder Fields operates a vertical farm in Chicago and will open a larger location in the south suburbs, selling produce locally to residents, restaurants, and markets by making use of all the space, floor to ceiling.
"To be able to take big-box space like this and reintroduce jobs that might have been lost, boosting the foot traffic that might have been lost ... to come in and revitalize that corridor is really exciting for us," Counne said.
The red paint was from the previous tenant. Target had been there for 20 years but closed in 2015.
For those in the area, a small business growing produce and adding jobs is welcomed news.
"Twenty four acres of farmland in the 135,000-square-foot building is pretty exciting when you think about it," Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said.
Calumet City 7th Ward Alderman Anthony Smith agrees.
"We've been a food desert for a number of years so this actually fills that void," Smith said. "(It) allows us to get fresh produce and at an affordable price and bring jobs."
Residents think it's a great idea, too.
"To have an indoor farm that we can come to year-round will be phenomenal," Vicki Brown said
Wilder Fields plans to start production next year and be fully operational in 2023, with not only retail space but an Education Center to show how their organic greens are grown year-round indoors vertically.
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