Strawberries and the hype over unsafe food

Besides, industry associations can promote entire industrial chains by providing detailed information to the public and making their operations more transparent. Making all possible information public will help food growers and producers in the long run because people would be in a position to judge news reports in the light of facts.

After the agriculture sector in Europe suffered many severe blows because of food safety scandals, governments promoted "transparent agriculture" to win back public trust. Production factories were opened to consumers' representatives and the media to dispel people's doubts about food safety. After all, making the production process transparent allows consumers to understand production and clear their misunderstandings.

More important, although many officials have tried their best to dispel rumors about herbicides in strawberries, consumers don't trust them for lack of reviews and tests conducted by third parties, and hence the need for credible third-party organizations to win back public trust.

Also, China's agriculture sector is badly in need of crop insurance to reduce the loss suffered by farmers, who, in turn, should realize that growing strawberries is risky business. It is difficult to store strawberries, because they have to be consumed within a few days of harvesting. So, even a slight fluctuation in the industry will cause great loss to farmers.

The need is also to increase the diversity of products and develop brands. China's agriculture lacks brands. As a result, even a small food safety scandal affects the entire industry. Diversity of products and consumers' brand loyalty can prevent such scenarios.

The author is a professor at the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China.

(China Daily 05/09/2015 page5)