California lettuce farmers are discarding tons of crops as a nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis continues to impact consumer demand for leafy greens. Larry Cox of Coastline Family Farms in Salinas Valley, known as "America's Salad Bowl," recently disposed of 300,000 pounds of romaine hearts.
"It is incredibly demoralizing," Cox told The Wall Street Journal. "I would’ve been better off taking a vacation in the South of France than planting the crop."
The outbreak has been linked to iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico and recalled by Taylor Farms de Mexico, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Despite the specific source, the concern has extended to lettuce grown in the Salinas Valley, which produces nearly half of the nation's lettuce.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by a parasite transmitted through contaminated food or water, leading to symptoms such as severe diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and fatigue. The current outbreak has affected at least 1,947 people across nine states.
Consumer wariness has led to a significant drop in lettuce sales. Unit sales of fresh lettuce declined by 8.7% in much of July compared to the previous year, with more than 7.6 million pounds going unsold, according to data from NielsenIQ. Some salad-focused restaurant chains, like Taco Bell, have seen foot traffic fall as much as 21% this year. Joelle Mosso of Western Growers confirmed that many California growers are plowing their crops back into the ground due to diminished consumer confidence.
"Consumers aren’t sure what’s right anymore so, out of an abundance of caution, they’re just passing on everything," Mosso said.
The ripple effects of the outbreak are felt throughout the agricultural sector. Cox reported a 20% to 30% decrease in sales for his produce, which supplies major restaurant chains and grocery stores. This downturn has also resulted in job cuts for farmworkers.
Experts warn that such widespread disease outbreaks can have long-lasting effects on sales, citing the 2006 E. coli outbreak that impacted spinach consumption for years. Despite the challenges, farmers like Cox are focused on resilience. "You can’t afford to be downcast very long," Cox stated. "You better pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep pushing forward."