WASHINGTON, D.C. - Produce has once again met the White House, this time with industry leader Cathy Burns meeting face to face with Barack Obama to speak on our nation’s plan for childhood obesity. Burns represented PMA on October 5 at a White House capstone event for Michelle Obama’s Let's Move! campaign, highlighting various programs, including eat brighter! and FNV.

"Marketing works, let's use it!” Burns told attendees of the presidential event. “As a mom with a teen and a tween at home, I'm alert to what they see. It's my job to be sure they grow up healthy, smart, and strong. We know marketing works. Let's be sure we're using those tools to shape children's desire for fresh produce."   

So, how can you help Burns and the White House continue the fight towards healthy eating and against childhood obesity? In an email to PMA attendees, Bryan Silbermann outlined the following tips for suppliers and retailers:

• Suppliers—Encourage your retail partners to join and place your healthy eat brighter!-branded products in their stores
• Retailers—Encourage your suppliers to join and send eat brighter!-labeled products to you. Consult the list of suppliers that are already in the movement and/or talk with your wholesalers about sourcing eat brighter! products. 

“Marketing works and so do supply chain partnerships. Cathy and I are proud of what you, our members, have done to advance these programs. But we are not finished,” Silbermann urged in his email. “I call on you to do even more. Marketing efforts can influence our kids in ways that build their bodies, their minds, and their futures. And when they and their families eat more produce, you sell more produce. Join the eat brighter! movement today and let's build more consumers for life.”

To learn more about what you can do to help push produce, visit PMA’s webpage for the eat brighter! campaign, and stay tuned for more news on the intersection of produce and politics.

Produce Marketing Association