Milling & Baking News - April 23, 2019 - 7

Editorial

Voices of dissent valuable in checkoff process

n a town hall discussion this month about a whether it is over attitudes toward agricultural biobreadbasket checkoff program currently under technology, whole grains or the place of the G.F.F. in
consideration, a feature unusual for an open bak- the industry. Similarly, checkoff programs in other ining industry meeting emerged - dissent. During the dustries face opposition by some percentage of particsession at the annual meeting of the American Bak- ipants. Particularly contentious, and litigation-filled,
ers Association, numerous prominent grain-based to this day has been the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion
executives offered considered but full-throated sup- and Research Board.
port for the proposed $15 million product promotion
It is the drag-along rules of checkoff, mandating
program. A few bakers, though, expressed misgivings participation among all qualifying companies to pay
about how the program is structured and, in one case, assessments that represents a fundamental difference
the mandatory nature of checkoff programs.
with the G.F.F. and makes it important to give voice
As currently planned under the program, baking to dissenters. Going forward, concerns about the procompanies that purchase at least 750,000 hundred- gram may be expressed in public comments to the
weights of flour used to bake breadbasket products U.S. Department of Agriculture and through possible
(bread, rolls, bagels, etc.) would be assessed 16c per checkoff board representation.
hundredweight, with 85 per cent to
If the checkoff sustains majority
be paid by bakers and 15 per cent by
support in terms of production volDifferences of opinion
millers. It is believed between 80 and
ume and the number of companies
are nothing new in
90 per cent of U.S. bread production
assessed, it will proceed. The risk
grain-based foods.
would be captured by the program.
from moving forward with a checkIn a separate presentation just before the town hall off is not financial. While a meaningful investment,
began, Christine Cochran, executive director of the $12.75 million (baking's share) may be called a roundGrain Foods Foundation, framed the plans for a check- ing error in a deca-billion dollar industry like baking.
off, methodically walking through details of the pro- The greater peril for grain-based foods is the emergram's workings and the timetable for potential ap- gence of a fissure between supporters of a program
proval and launch. The program is predicated on the and opponents. Baking faces too many challenges to
widely embraced objective of "changing the percep- be able to afford a protracted feud over this program.
tion of bread, to increase unit sales and ... producing Just as successful programs instruct about the promscientific research that would support the category as a ise of checkoff, the beef program offers lessons in its
whole," she said. In a way not possible for the G.F.F., a pitfalls. Baking has experienced fractures in the past.
checkoff program would allow the baking industry to The respectful airing of differing views during the
tackle a shared program at scale.
A.B.A. annual meeting was an important step toward
A panel of supporters took the position individual preserving industry unity moving ahead. Following
baking companies would be unable to change con- the town hall meeting, intense but polite follow-up
sumer perceptions about bread with brands and that discussions could be seen in the hotel hallways bethe time for action was at hand. Among those seeking tween Ms. Cochran and those wary of the program.
change to the program or opposing it, the 750,000The rationale for a breadbasket checkoff program is
hundredweight threshold was a sticking point. Leon- compelling - leveling the playing field between bakard M. Amoroso, president of Amoroso's Baking Co., ing and other food categories utilizing the checkoff
Philadelphia, said the cutoff would leave him at a dis- system to gain share of stomach. Still, it is incumbent
advantage versus smaller companies that would not on the steering committee to continue airing diverse
be saddled with checkoff assessments.
views and modifying the program when appropriate
Even if public opposition is unusual, differences both out of sense of fairness and to preserve baking
of opinion are nothing new in grain-based foods, industry unity. MBN
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Milling & Baking News - April 23, 2019

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