Press Releases

January 15, 2010

Food Processors Consider Stronger Partnerships with Government

Bridgeton, NJ: The 2010 New Jersey Food Processors Association's annual meeting on January 21 will focus on how the industry can build stronger partnerships with state and federal government. Dr. Brian Schilling, a featured speaker at the meeting, will address this topic by discussing a partnership model that highlights mutual benefits of food industry/government alliances.

During past emergency planning exercises with the state, we came to realize that government did not really have a clear understanding of the role the food industry plays in the state's security or in the overall economy, said Schilling. Food manufacturers need to help government understand the structure of their industry, what they need to operate, and where they might need assistance if an emergency were to happen.

Based on lessons learned from the emergency planning exercises, Schilling and the New Jersey Food Council proposed and were funded for a research project to formulate an emergency plan for closer collaboration between the state and the food distribution sector. The New Jersey Food Council was a major cog in the process, said Schilling. I will be using this example to demonstrate how trade associations can play an important role in government planning.

Schilling's research provides a strong case for increasing the prominence of the food industry in the eyes of state government. We all know about the dramatic drop in manufacturing in the state, he said. However, the food industry is still an $84 billion industry, and I would project that it may be as high as $100 billion. Four hundred thousand people work in the state's nearly 40,000 food-related businesses. Approximately 117,000 additional people have jobs in sectors that support food businesses. The Food Processors Association could help advance the industry by educating government.
Schilling is a specialist in agricultural and food policy at Rutgers. He was previously the associate director of the Food Policy Institute, and has worked closely with the agricultural and food industries. He has served on a number of industry and government task forces and working groups.

The New Jersey Food Processors Association (NJFPA) is an organization of manufacturers of food and agricultural products, and suppliers of materials and services to this industry, joined together to promote best practices, share information and expand the industry in the Garden State.  The attendance at this year's conference will be the largest that we've ever had said Lou Cooperhouse, president-elect of the NJFPA, and director of the Rutgers Food Innovation Center.  This year's conference theme is State and Federal Partners to Strengthen New Jersey's Food Industry and we will have leading state, federal, and university experts  speak to us about food safety and a number of other critical issues to our food processing industry, he added.

The New Jersey Food Processors Association's annual meeting will be held on January 21 at the Buena Vista Country Club in Buena, NJ. The meeting will provide networking and educational opportunities for New Jersey companies representing all facets of the food processing industry.  For additional information about the NJFPA, visit the association's web site at http://www.njfoodprocessors.org/