Ready Pac sponsors symposium to raise awareness about organic spinach

Ready Pac Foods sponsored a symposium on the sustainability of organic spinach, hosted by the United Vegetable Growers Cooperative. The event was held on June 24 in Seaside, California, and spotlighted the growing threat of downey mildew to organic spinach yields to help raise awareness within the industry and among fresh-cut produce consumers.

The organic produce industry continues to grow, and organic spinach commands a large share of that market, according to the company. However, due to invasive downey mildew, growers have not been able to meet consumer need this season, despite overplanting by 10 to 30 percent to meet intensified demands. Organic spinach yields are down to 50 percent, and scientists predict the situation will only worsen.

Fungicides are currently available to treat downey mildew for conventional spinach, but there is no known solution for organic spinach. The mildew is a global pathogen that only grows on spinach. It is prevalent and increasing in some of the largest growing regions of the country, including prime growing regions like the Salinas Valley in California and Yuma, Arizona, according to Ready Pac.

Overall, the consensus of the symposium was that solutions can’t come quickly enough, current conditions will likely continue, and the downey mildew problem will grow.

To learn more, visit Ready Pac’s website.