“Marketing works, let’s use it!” said Produce Marketing Association President Cathy Burns at a White House event Oct. 5 recapping the progress of Let’s Move!, an initiative from First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the challenge of childhood obesity.
Burns, representing PMA and its members, spoke about two efforts to boost fruit and vegetable consumption: eat brighter!™, which targets kids 2-5 and FNV, which targets teens and tweens. “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.”
This echoes the First Lady’s efforts through Let’s Move to improve children’s health, and, by extension, their lives. “Through her leadership, Michelle Obama has sparked a movement we can all support,” Burns said. “On our part, PMA is committed to driving fresh produce consumption worldwide through programs like eat brighter! and through efforts to strengthen our members’ marketing efforts.”
Burns called on industry and others to harness the power of marketing to help families make the healthy choice the easy choice when it comes to increasing fruit and vegetable consumption. She urged the industry to accept the responsibility to change the obesity rates for the next generation. “They won’t live as long as their parents if we don’t do something right now,” she said. “We know marketing works. Let’s be sure we’re using those tools to shape their desire for fresh produce.”
The event, noted by the First Lady’s office as a capstone event for Let’s Move!, addressed the impact of the movement, highlighting various programs, including eat brighter! and FNV. eat brighter! is a partnership among Sesame Workshop, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and PMA. It offers the produce industry an unprecedented opportunity to use Sesame Street characters royalty-free to market fresh fruits and vegetables to kids 2 to 5 years old and their families. FNV, executed by the Partnership for a Healthier America and supported by PMA, uses celebrities and an iconic brand to make fruits ‘n’ vegetables, FNV, cool to teens and tweens.
In addition to participating in the Oct. 5 event, Burns helped with the final harvest of the White House garden for the Obama Administration on Oct. 6. Joined by elementary school students from Washington, D.C., Burns helped them harvest and prepare a meal from the garden’s bounty. In addition to the First Lady, President Barack Obama joined the harvest with Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita.
About Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
Produce Marketing Association is the leading trade association representing companies from every segment of the global produce and floral supply chain. PMA helps members grow by providing connections that expand business opportunities and increase sales and consumption. For more information, visit www.pma.com.
Source: Produce Marketing Association (PMA)
