Message from the President

Most Delawareans know that agriculture is our leading industry, and that corn, watermelon, and poultry are the main pieces of our very large ag puzzle. While we hail the success of our farmers, growers, processors, seed specialists, implement dealers, and more, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse recently reminded need to ramp up worldwide food production by 68% by 2050, the world also must stop wasting so much food.

Food waste is when we throw away high-quality food that goes uneaten. In the U.S., food waste occurs because consumers “shop with their eyes” and rarely purchase less than perfect produce and products (I am guilty of that). Restaurants, homes, and stores become the endpoint for too many food products that go unused. In other parts of the world, a different set of problems exists. Logistics and the lack of cold storage contribute to loss of food as it moves from farms to processors.

So, what can our business community do to address food waste? We collectively spend a lot of time on forks, knives, spoons, and containers, but more needs to be done to address consumer acceptance of “imperfect foods”. Our 2022 Superstars in Business luncheon heard from a Delaware business that takes perfectly good, bruised fruits and turns them into ice cream and other frozen treats. In addition, our labeling of “freshness” dates oftentimes works against us. That “sell by” date doesn’t mean we need to throw things away that day. Maybe we need to make greater use of a “use by” date so consumers can be confident that properly stored products are still quite good to eat! Finally, some large employers have food service options in their place of business. I, for one, would not hesitate to pay an extra dollar or two for fresh, as opposed to canned, green beans, and other fresh options too.

Our agricultural industry is the envy of the world. We feed a population that is steadily growing, and meeting that demand with fewer and fewer farmers. With food being wasted at 30% to 40%, we must collectively and creatively indentify ways to be more efficient.