Want to know where your fruit is grown?  Good Luck!

– from FERN:  Big Ag considers the path from field to supermarket a trade secret.

What’s the bottom line for consumer produce sourcing?

What’s required by law in terms of transparency in produce sourcing is minimal: Only country of origin need be shared. Any information shared publicly beyond that is entirely voluntary. If something goes wrong and a safety issue is spotted, the FDA becomes involved and can audit a company’s supply chain information as part of its oversight and enforcement authority.

Retailers, distributors, and wholesalers all stressed the importance of having confidence in one’s suppliers and spoke of good suppliers as something of a business advantage. But as I learned with the example of my mango, even in the case of a recall, source details shared publicly are few. Largely, the industry continues to say to the public, “trust us.”