Pundit’s Mailbag — Putting Leadership First: Consider The Example Of The Ohio Florist’s Association
David Sasuga, Founder of Fresh Origins, has been a frequent contributor to the Pundit, weighing in on important industry issues. We’ve featured his input in pieces such as the following: Pundit’s Mailbag — As ‘Spiked’ Organic Fertilizer Investigation Widens, Potential Grows For Weaker Consumer Confidence In All Fresh Produce ‘Spiked’ Organic Fertilizer Raises Consumer Doubts […]
An Unusual Perspective — Leader Who Has Served On Both United And PMA Boards Offers Insights On Merger Failure: HARD TO BELIEVE IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO CEO
This letter, in response to our piece, The United/PMA Fiasco: THE SPIN IS JUST HALF THE STORY — Lessons Learned: Open Up To Industry Input And Focus On Big Things First, came from a member of a rarified fraternity — those people who have served on the Board of Directors of both United and PMA: […]
The United/PMA Fiasco:
THE SPIN IS JUST HALF THE STORY
Lessons Learned: Open Up To Industry Input And Focus On Big Things First
Back at the United Convention in May, the Pundit approached Bryan Silbermann, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Produce Marketing Association, and asked if he wanted to say anything about the PMA/United merger talks. He explained that he was under a non-disclosure agreement and could not do so. So we told him a […]
PMA And United:
To Merge Or Not To Merge? That Is The Question
Back when he was with Wal-Mart and also was serving on the board of directors of the Produce Marketing Association — of which he ultimately became Chairman — Bruce Peterson would frequently ask one question when assessing industry structures: “If we didn’t have the current organizational structure already set up, would we choose, today, to […]
Nanotechnology And Food: FDA Speaks Out. Will Industry Act To Avoid The PR Mistakes Made In Introducing GMOs To The General Public?
During the course of my father’s battle with pancreatic cancer, I constantly came across references to the future use of nanotechnology in medicine. From nanoparticles specially engineered to deliver chemotherapy to nanobots that would one day give us virtual immortality by constantly keeping our bodies in repair, nanotechnology promises to change the world as we know it. It […]
Lots To Think About When It Comes To Recalling Lots
We often receive requests to think about issues in the news. This letter is an example: The recent salad recall got me thinking. The pattern is very familiar. A recall is triggered by a random test that showed positive for a pathogen — in this case salmonella. The processor attempts to do the “right thing” […]
Wal-Mart and Payoffs in Mexico: Bribery or Extortion?
The New York Times came out with a front page article titled, Vast Mexico Bribery Case Hushed Up by Wal-Mart After Top Level Struggle. The article claims are specific, pointed and explosive: In September 2005, a senior Wal-Mart lawyer received an alarming e-mail from a former executive at the company’s largest foreign subsidiary, Wal-Mart de Mexico. In […]
Thinking About The Secret Service Scandal — Implications For Food Safety And Employee Management
The Secret Service scandal involving the alleged use of prostitutes by the president’s advance team in Colombia has been much written about. We don’t have to dissect the issue here. Things are interconnected though. Many have argued that food safety, for example, can only be secured with government employees, implying that these are somehow always […]
When Did Internships Become Slave Labor Instead Of Opportunities To Develop Relationships And Knowledge About A Chosen Field?
The New York Times Magazine has a regular column called The Ethicist, which is currently written by Ariel Kaminer, whose previous job was editor of the Arts & Leisure section of The New York Times. The title of a recent column was The Internship Rip-Off. As is customary, the column was built around a letter […]
Reflections On Life And Death;
Passover’s Special Meaning;
Lessons From An Old Fruit Man
As one gets older one becomes more familiar with death, and one learns that death gives rise to different emotions in different circumstances. My friend Joe Nucci passed away while we were on vacation together in Florida, and the emotion that hit me then and has stuck with me since has been of feeling cheated. […]
