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experience is looking to get the highest quality, the freshest product, to their customers and do so effectively within their operations. What you want to do is look for the platform that’s going to allow it to work effectively through the system to be able to deliver that quality and the freshness in terms of how packaging the units work together. It really varies in terms of what the needs of the commodity are. For example, bananas need to go through a ripening process. Others need to be tempera- ture-sensitive. Strawberries need to be kept at a low temperature. There are a wide variety of usage requirements for fresh produce, so you want to look for a pallet that’s going to be able to work across your operations, or your needs.
Produce Business: Are any new materials being used to make pallets?
deBus: We’re certainly finding great innovation in the material types that can be used for pallets. There are some pallets on the marketplace that are (made of ) composite materials, a blend or mix of different types of material, including sand, that can be formed and composited to create the pallet.
That’s one of the great things that we’re seeing — with research and development and technology, we’re looking at different types of
materials. Material science continues to be a rapidly growing field, and it can demonstrate how you can make products that are stronger and lighter and have better performance char- acteristics.”
Produce Business: How does pricing work?
deBus: There are a variety of models, of course. You have suppliers who are designing and manufacturing pallets to both sell to a retailer, for example, and that may be used in
their own operation. You have companies that are involved in the pooling of pallets. Those companies actually own the assets, and they’re leasing them out, mostly to the grower/shipper and allowing that pallet to go through the retail system.
Produce Business: What’s being done to control invasive species?
Ferri: There is currently an international treaty and standard in place that works and protects against invasive species. It’s called ISPM 15 (International Standards For Phytosanitary Measures No. 15) and is a proven success story. It works to protect our forests and facilitates safe trade. Since its implementation in 2005, we know of no other large-scale estab- lishments of wood-boring insects.
The invasive species many reference — emerald ash borer and Asian long-horned beetle — were introduced before the successful ISPM 15 program was launched. Over 180 countries have now adopted the regulation. The global partnerships in place are working together to protect forests.
We support the goals of ISPM 15 to safe- guard the forests and urban trees around the world from the spread of non-native invasive species. pb
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