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Assisting Women and Beginning Farmers to Mitigate Legal, Production and Market Risks of Adding Value in the FSMA Environment

Winifred McGee and Juliette Enfield

Summary

The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011; final rules to be issued spring 2016. Over the past 5 years, National food safety focus has shifted from reactive, annual facility inspections to proactive food borne illness prevention. For beginning and women farmers (who often select value added enterprises) the legal, production and marketing risks associated with FSMA compliance is daunting, since FSMA strategies such as GAP/GHP, GMPs, HACCP, Consumer Allergen Notification, and Proactive Recall Planning are complicated. Receiving 2011/12 ERME funding, a Penn State Extension team engaged women producers and food entrepreneurs in identifying their perceived needs in food risk awareness and mitigation strategy education. In response, the Penn State team created a one-day program, “Managing Risk for Food Businesses,” and added proactive food risk management information to their well-established, "Food for Profit” workshops. Since 2012, six “Managing Risk” sessions have been held in Pennsylvania and Maryland (attracting almost 100 participants); additionally, and more than 750 producers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Tennessee and Oregon who attended “Food for Profit” were introduced to FSMA-related strategies. This presentation will provide a quick overview of the educational content and materials provided by both workshops, followed by detailed impact analysis gathered through an internet post-survey conducted in Fall 2015. Survey data includes participant profiles, aggregate feedback about KASA gains, and adoption rates of specific risk management strategies advocated by this program. The audience will be provided information and tools for program replication and adoption in their own communities.

Details

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