NW Reports -- Winter 2014

FOOD POLICY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ENVIRONMENT ENERGY WORKFORCE SUSTAINABILITY SPECIAL EDITION I WINTER 2013 Northwest WWW.NWFPA.ORG REPORTS s of 10st0r noYer aenrtennial CelebrNit oWdFXPA ! a n an E w fo C PO e Regi 2 0 14 y 12 - 1 5 , P o r t l a n d , O re g o Januar n IN THIS ISSUE Message from the Chair Letter from the President 3 Memories of Excellence 4 NWFPA Nominating Committee 5 2014 EXPO & Conference, and Centennial Celebration 6 Effective Energy Management 8 History of Regulations In Defense of Lobbying: NWFPA’s Legacy 2 9 In 1914, a group of visionaries in the canning industry recognized the need for uniformity of standards, processing techniques, shipping methods, and regulatory procedures. With an increasing demand for canned goods, growing consumer expectations for product quality and a tightening of government regulations on the industry, it was time to address these issues collectively. Thus was formed the Northwest Canners Association, which eventually evolved into the Northwest Food Processors Association. Food Resources & Education Institute 10 A hundred years later, NWFPA continues to promote and protect the food processing industry through legislative and regulatory advocacy — also known as lobbying. Though lobbying often gets a bad rap in the media or among the general public, it could not be more critical to maintaining a robust industry in the face of growing regulations and a challenging political environment. New Members 13 Autumn Assembly 16 Partisanship and Capitol Gridlock 17 Moss Adams 18 In the early years, the association sought sanitary canning practices and worked with state agencies to establish proper regulations. NWFPA staff continues to maintain strong relationships with state regulators to ensure that food safety programs are robust, properly funded, and appropriately implemented. This requires lobbying. In 1933, the association saw the industrial stresses put on the Willamette River and supported the Oregon State College research program, to study the problem and find SPONSORED BY Celebrating 100 Years Continued on page 12 w