Oregon food processors' attitudes toward processing certified sustainable fruits and vegetables

Scope and method of study. Oregon fruit and vegetable processors' attitudes toward processing certified sustainable fruits and vegetables were measured using online survey methods. The population consisted of those who were listed in the 2006 Judges Food Processors of North America Guide and those whose primary activity was registered with the Oregon Department of Agriculture as processing fruits and vegetables.;Findings and conclusions. In general, fruit and vegetable processors agreed with the benefits and incentives to processing certified sustainable fruits and vegetables and disagreed with the drawbacks. Only one-third of processors were certified sustainable and the majority did not have plans in place to expand production or promotion of certified sustainable products. The majority of processors spent none of their gross sales or marketing resources to market sustainable certification and most did not perceive their competitors were marketing sustainable certification. Recommendations for further research in the area of sustainable certification were made.