TransFair USA, based in Oakland, CA, has opened channels for all Fair Trade- certified products to be marketed in the United States. The move, which became effective Jan. 22, comes at the prompting of importers and greatly broadens opportunities for Fair Trade growers around the world. TransFair USA is the only independent third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States. From a fresh fruit standpoint, Fair Trade-certified mangos, bananas and table grapes previously were approved in the United States. Now, pineapples, oranges, lemons, limes, mandarin oranges, avocados, apples

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL), a leading voice for the specialty crop industry, will run for Florida agriculture commissioner when his congressional term runs out in two years. "I'm returning to my roots," Rep. Putnam told The Produce News in a Feb. 3 interview. "I've spent most of my time in Congress advocating for agriculture, nutrition, food safety and trade. I'm looking for the opportunity to modernize the department and continue my focus on agriculture issues on a full-time basis" without having to convince 217 colleagues to move legislation forward, he said. Rep. Putnam is

For the eighth consecutive year, Vancouver, BC-based The Oppenheimer Group has been named among Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies, and 2009 also marks the second consecutive year the produce marketer has been awarded Platinum Club member status by the judging panel. Overseen by sponsors Deloitte, CIBC Commercial Banking, The National Post and Queen's School of Business, the award selection entails a detailed assessment process, and each year's recognition reflects the previous year's performance. Oppenheimer President, Chairman and CEO John Anderson said that this year's honor comes with

Ben Parker, who operated a produce wholesale brokerage operation in Dallas named Ben Parker Inc., died last month leaving behind $5 million to $6 million in produce debt, according to Kate Ellis of the law firm of McCarron & Diess in Washington, DC. Ms. Ellis said that her firm filed a complaint in a Texas court Jan. 16 on behalf of a produce industry client asking the court for a temporary restraining order to freeze assets. It was during this proceeding that the death of Mr. Parker the day before was revealed. Although there has not been confirmation of the circumstances surrounding his

Robert Cochran II, a third-generation member of Robert T. Cochran & Co. Inc. on the Hunts Point Terminal Market and father of current President Richard Cochran, died Jan. 7 of natural causes. He was 87. In a Feb. 2 interview with The Produce News, Richard Cochran described his father as "a big guy with a big booming voice. When he said 'hello' on the phone, everyone knew it was him. He was very punctual and he always called everyone at exactly the same time, every day. He was on all the [industry] boards and things the market did. He was always hopping with those things." According to

PLEASANTON, CA -- A panel of retailers declined to formally shed the produce industry's "recession-proof" label, but it did say that the downturn in the economy is definitely affecting what consumers buy in each of their stores. Speaking on a panel at a Northern California luncheon meeting of the Fresh Produce & Floral Council held Tuesday, Feb. 3, at the Castlewood Country Club, here, Greg Corrigan, vice president of produce and floral for Raley's Supermarkets in Sacramento; Adam Bazarnik, director of produce and floral for Nugget Markets in Woodland; and Jim Pohndorf, supervisor and