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Introducing the New York State. GROWN & CERTIFIED PROGRAM. Jennifer Trodden MS CSP. INTRODUCING NEW YORK STATE GROWN & CERTIFIED.
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Introducing the New York State GROWN & CERTIFIED PROGRAM Jennifer Trodden MS CSP
INTRODUCING NEW YORK STATE GROWN & CERTIFIED • On August 11th Governor Cuomo announced the opening of NY State’s Regional Food Hub; this hub will increase New Yorkers access to fresh, locally grown and produced food • On the same day Governor Como also launched the New York State Grown and Certified program • New York State Grown and Certified is the first state program in the nation to combine modern food safety standards with environmental stewardship to achieve a premium level of certification
THE DEVELOPMENT OF NYS GROWN AND CERTIFIED The Department formed three subcommittees; comprised of industry leaders, including producers, retailers, distributors, associations, and special interest groups: The STANDARDS, VERIFICATION & ENFORCEMENT subcommittee The TRAINING AND INDUSTRY SUPPORT subcommittee The MARKETING AND BRANDING subcommittee
THE STANDARDS, VERIFICATION & ENFORCEMENT SUBCOMMITTEE The STANDARDS, VERIFICATION & ENFORCEMENT subcommittee revealed the complexity of the federal regulatory system and the numerous technical issues that come into play when evaluating claims of misbranding arising from marketing ‘jargon’ placed on product labels.
THE TRAINING & INDUSTRY SUPPORT SUBCOMMITTEE The TRAINING AND INDUSTRY SUPPORT subcommittee was charged with: Identifying the needs of the farm and food industry to meet the qualifications of the program Improving coordination between existing programs Developing outreach and training materials to achieve food safety and good environmental management on farms Expanding NYS Grown & Certified to other commodities
THE MARKETING & BRANDING SUBCOMMITTEE The MARKETING AND BRANDING subcommittee reviewed market research data and solicited input on how to successfully market the program. They also compared other state branded programs and created a label/seal that is both transparent and easily identifiable.
WHAT DOES THIS CERTIFICATION PROGRAM DO? • Differentiates New York’s agricultural products in the marketplace • Provides transparent and meaningful information for a variety of agricultural products • Focuses on and rewards safe food handling and environmental stewardship
HOW DOES ONE QUALIFY FOR THIS PROGRAM? ADHERING TO FOOD SAFETY GUIDELINES FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS PRODUCE NEW YORK STATE PRODUCTS GROWERS ARE VERIFIED USING Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) participation and documentation Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) audit verification
GOOD AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES (GAP) GAP is a voluntary program that verifies the safe growing, handling, packing, and holding of produce. Preventing foodborne illness starts with good agricultural practices on the farm. Getting GAP Certified means: PARTICIPATING IN TRAINING WORKSHOPS DEVELOPING A FOOD SAFETY PLAN IMPLEMENTING PRACTICES *Funding available to cover the cost of the USDA or third party verification audit*
AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (AEM) AEM links farmers with local conservation professionals to identify existing environmental stewardship, address natural resource concerns, and enhance farm viability. How does AEM work? IMPLEMENTS THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IDENTIFIED IN THE PLAN UPDATES PLANS AND CONSERVATION PRACTICES OVER TIME ASSESSES EXISTING STEWARDSHIP AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS DEVELOPS FARM-SPECIFIC CONSERVATION PLANS
PARTICIPATION BENEFITS • Statewide advertisement campaigns aimed at restaurants, institutional buyers, and retail consumers • Use of the New York State Grown & Certified label and marketing materials • Presence on the New York State Grown & Certified website that lists qualified producers
DIGITAL MEDIA PLAN • Create program awareness and visibility that results in: • Consumer acceptance and increased purchases • Participation of NYC based restaurants • Broad scale adoption by eligible producers • Robust participation by retailers throughout New York State
NEW YORK STATE GROWN AND CERTIFIED TRADESHOW/POINT OF SALE DISPLAY Empire Farm Days and Great New York State Fair
WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING ABOUT THE NY GROWN & CERTIFIED LABEL Quantitative research of the NYS Grown and Certified label revealed that: • 74% of people said they would buymore product with the label • 49% said they would pay more • 96% of respondents favoredfood bearing this label over food that did not
NEW YORK STATE GROWN AND CERTIFIED WEBSITE http://certified.ny.gov