Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee back, seeks nominees

The USDA announced March 30 it intends to renew the charter of the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. It is also seeking nominations from specialty crop stakeholders to serve on the FVIAC.

The deadline for nominations is May 31, 2022.

USDA is set to reestablish the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee’s  (FVIAC) charter for two years as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The current charter expires on March 16, 2022. USDA invites interested persons to submit comments on this notice at Regulations.gov. Comments are due no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on April 14, 2022, via http://www.regulations.gov: Document # AMS-SC-22-0021

USDA is also seeking nominations from specialty crop stakeholders. From the nominees, the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint up to 25 individuals to succeed members whose terms expire on July 9, 2022. Appointed representatives would serve a two-year term. View detailed information about the advisory committee’s background, candidate qualifications, requirements and forms.

USDA also will hold a series of Zoom virtual calls in the month of April to share information about the FVIAC’s nomination process. Participants must register in advance. Nomination packages can be submitted electronically by email to SCPFVIAC@usda.gov.

Packages can also be mailed to: Darrell Hughes, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW., South Building-Room 1575-STOP 0235, Washington, DC 20250-0235, Attn: Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee. Electronic submittals are preferred.

Established in 2001, the FVIAC is administered by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Committee members represent the entire spectrum of the fruit and vegetable industry including shippers, wholesalers, brokers, retailers, processors, fresh cut processors, foodservice suppliers, state agencies, state departments of agriculture and trade associations. The FVIAC meets in person at least twice a year to develop recommendations on issues affecting the U.S. produce industry.

Information about the committee is available on the AMS Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee webpage.

AMS policy is that diversity of the board should reflect the diversity of its industries in terms of the experience of members, methods of production and distribution, marketing strategies, and other distinguishing factors, including but not limited individuals from historically underserved communities, that will bring different perspectives and ideas to the table. Throughout the full nomination process, the industry must conduct extensive outreach, paying particular attention to reaching underserved communities, and consider the diversity of the population served and the knowledge, skills, and abilities of the members to serve a diverse population.