When the daughter of Bon Appétit’s restaurant and drinks editor, Andrew Knowlton, returned from her first day of preschool with an uneaten PB&J and a note explaining that peanuts were not allowed, Knowlton was saddened. He wrote in The Foodist blog for Bon Appétit that the PB&J may be becoming extinct. He then decided his daughter would enjoy the childhood experience of the PB&J sandwich by having regular PB&J dinners at home. Peanut allergy is a major public relations issue for our industry. Our board believes we should take a more proactive approach to peanut allergy with consumers, not just health and foodservice professionals. Consumers are confused and misinformed about peanut allergy. Accordingly, peanuts have unfairly become the “poster child” for food allergy. Statistics show that 30 percent of American school systems ban peanuts in one or more of their schools, which could affect tens of millions of children. Peanut allergy is an emotional issue for many people, especially parents. Using facts to counter emotion-based arguments rarely works. We must find ways to counter these emotional arguments with our own emotional arguments that are based on fact and embraced as reasonable. We have many tools available. Our Scientific Advisory Council consists of some of the world’s foremost authorities on food allergy; our staff dietitian is nationally recognized as an expert on food allergy; we have an experienced team of marketing and communications professionals; and we retain a respected public relations firm with vast expertise in the food industry and
with Shannon Kizer, New Mexico
Shannon Kizer was given the opportunity of a lifetime to play college basketball on a scholarship, but instead of pursuing that dream, he
decided to accept another offer–farming. “After high school, I decided to put the money I saved through working toward the purchase of a John Deere 8820 Combine,” said Kizer. “I went from Seminole, Texas, to Northern Colorado and worked as a custom harvester. After three years I saved enough to purchase my first 3,000-acre ranch. God blessed me because it happened to have very good irrigation water under it,” said Kizer. Now Kizer owns approximately 18,000 acres of farmland, dry land and irrigated land in several states including New Mexico, Texas and Arizona where he grows Valencia peanuts, corn, wheat and hay. Kizer has been growing peanuts for 17 years. He grew up on a farm and started farming with his father at an early age. The hard work and dedication to the farm he learned at an early age has shaped who he is today.
Preventing the Extinction of PB&J By Bob Parker President & CEO
reputation management. We can leverage this expertise to educate consumers with the same success we have had with school nutrition and health professionals and change the conversation about peanut allergy. In the end, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. NPB has a long history of demonstrating that we care, with almost $10 million invested in allergy research, education and outreach. America’s peanut farmers take pride in producing a wholesome and nutritious food and believe that not even one person should ever be harmed from the product they grow. We are working on a program to help consumers understand the facts about peanut allergy, starting with research to determine what people know and believe. Our goal is to be a part of the solution as we all seek to better understand food allergies and how to manage them in our schools, our eating establishments and our sports venues. Fortunately, more than 98 percent of us can enjoy the delicious taste and nutritious benefits of peanuts and peanut products. We hope that one of America’s iconic foods—the classic PB&J—doesn’t become extinct! We look forward to sharing more with you as we move forward.
“I’ve been so blessed to have grown up on a farm and can see the values and work ethics my parents taught me were very important. I would love to pass that on to my children someday,” said Kizer. Although Kizer doesn’t have a family of his own yet, he hopes to have one someday. He considers his staff of 20 as his family members. “It feels good to supply as many people as I can with a good job and Shannon Kizer owns farmsafe environment to work in,” said Kizer. land in eastern New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. Many growers face highs and lows throughout their careers, so Kizer thinks organizations like the National Peanut Board help growers succeed. “It’s very important to have the National Peanut Board on the front line for the farmers, helping them find new markets and fund production research,” said Kizer. “ “I believe having extensive production research is very important to help farmers keep cost and be more efficient. We have seen less plant disease, and more mature peanuts at harvest time without all the premature waste.” When not on his farm, Kizer enjoys spending his time outdoors, water skiing, playing Texas Hold ‘em and grilling a good steak.
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