Coast to Coast Crises

It’s been a stormy week in food and agriculture, literally and figuratively. Even as Hurricane Helene dominated the news, the onset of the longshoremen strike presented another major issue with potential long-term ramifications. And through it all, California continued to legislate restrictions around a variety of food-related topics.

• Hurricane Helene ravaged the Southeast.
• Workers shut down ports from Maine to Texas.
• California went on a banning spree.

“Asheville needs help. This is devastation, and we need federal organization and funds. If we don’t get it, we are going to set back this region 50, 100 years.”

William Dissen, executive chef of the Market Place Restaurant (Eater)

Helene Aftermath

Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Gulf Coast late on September 26 with 140 mph winds and a 15-foot storm surge of water. The storm dumped more than one foot of rain and caused massive flooding in Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky. At least 190 people died in a storm the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called “catastrophic.” While Helene wreaked havoc with power outages and infrastructure damage, here are some early details about the storm’s effects on food and agriculture. 

• Reuters’ Tom Polansek reported both crop and livestock damages. Major portions of South Carolina’s cotton crop were thrashed and twisted, which will “make for a complicated harvest,” according to a Department of Agriculture spokesperson there. In addition, Wayne-Sanderson Farms and Smithfield Foods experienced strains on production of poultry and pork, respectively. 
• Feedstuffs detailed Helene’s agricultural damage in Georgia, where the storm’s impact on pecans, poultry, row crops and dairies was profound. Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said, “Right now, the future of hundreds of agricultural operations across Georgia is uncertain, and without immediate assistance, some will not make it to the next growing season.” 
• While final damages will likely take a month or more to calculate, initial estimates suggest at least $7 billion for crop losses alone, according to Bloomberg.
• The mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina, was one of the hardest-hit by Helene’s devastation. Eater surveyed the damage to the area’s robust restaurant business and quoted William Dissen, executive chef of the Market Place Restaurant: “Asheville needs help. This is devastation, and we need federal organization and funds. If we don’t get it, we are going to set back this region 50, 100 years.”
• Progressive Grocer described how food retailers — including Harris Teeter, Hy-Vee and Ingles Market — are “playing their part in providing critical supplies.” Hy-Vee, for example, deployed its disaster fleet and partnered with Operation BBQ Relief to feed those affected. 

Striking Impact

After their contract expired on October 1, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked off the job, shutting down ports along the East and Gulf coasts. The 45,000 workers seek higher wages and a ban on further automation.

• Prior to the strike, 177 industry groups asked President Biden to “provide any and all support to the parties in their negotiations,” arguing that the strike could have a “devastating impact.”
• A separate group of 56 agricultural groups warned of “potentially lower farmgate prices” if a strike was not averted. Supporting that prediction, Bloomberg reported that the strike arrived as farmers seek to sell freshly harvested crops.
• And the National Grain and Feed Association joined yet another coalition of 196 groups that pleaded for intervention. They emphasized that the port shutdown is just one part of a “trifecta of transportation trouble” — along with low water levels on the Mississippi River and rail issues in Mexico — stopping up crucial food and farm exports.
• If the strike continues, the effects are likely to be felt by consumers. Progressive Grocer predicted higher retail food prices, Eater looked into supply chain disruption for restaurants and The New York Times covered struggles for wine importers.
• Despite these concerns, The Associated Press explained forces that may give dockworkers a “negotiating advantage,” particularly noting the political climate and the success of West Coast port workers who went on strike last year.

Our Takeaway: There’s no winning this one for the Biden administration. Failing to intervene will gum up supply chains and potentially raise food prices. Stepping in will upset unions during an election year.

‘Paper or … Paper?’

From plastic bags to a rainbow of food dyes and even octopi, California continues to break new ground with bans on all manner of products and practices.

• California bans all plastic bags at checkout | Progressive Grocer
• California bill banning certain food dyes from school meals signed into law | Foodservice Director
• What does California’s food dye ban mean for other states? | Agri-Pulse
• California governor signs bill to ban octopus farming | Los Angeles Times
• Farmers in Sonoma County, California, face potential ban on large-scale animal farming | Environmental Health News
• Review of widely banned herbicide gets fast-tracked under new law | Politico