Western Plant Health Association

The Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) represents "the interests of the fertilizer and crop protection manufacturers, distributors, formulators and retailers in California, Arizona and Hawaii. WPHA members market commercial fertilizers, soil amendments, agricultural minerals and crop protection products." [1]]

History

In April 2004, the California Plant Health Association (CPHA) announced that it would change its name to Western Plant Health Association to represent "the regulatory, legislative and communications interests" of its member companies. [2]

The CPHA itself had been formed in late 2000 as a result of the merger of the California Fertilizer Association and the Western Crop Protection Association. [3]

In 2003 and early 2004 the CPHA unsuccessfully campaigned against the Mendocino Country Measure H to ban the genetically engineered crops. The group spent $34,366 in December 2003 hiring the Sacramento-based law firm Olsen, Hagel & Fishburn in an unsuccessful attempt to sue the county to force a change in the wording of the proposed measure. [4]

Other groups hired as part of the campaign were the market research group Nichols Research Group and Woodward & McDowell, a Burlingame political consulting and PR firm.

While CPHA and CropLife America massively outspent supporters of the measure, they suffered a humiliating defeat. The measure passed by a margin of 56% to 43%. [5]

The failure of CPHA's campaign to defeat Measure H was ridiculed by conservative PR consultant and commentator Ross S. Irvine. "As part of its campaign, the industry took the uninspired position that the measure was badly written, would be costly and result in a tax increase. Such a notion was bland, even cold, compared to global adoration," he wrote.

For Irvine, who enthusiastically backs the biotech industry, the industry's defeat offered an important lesson. "...Passion, not money, is vital to earning public support. Passion is developed long before an issue becomes political," he wrote. [6]

Staff

• Steven R. Beckley - President/CEO
• Renee Pinel - Director of Policy and Legislation
• Kevin Keefer - Director of Environmental and Regulatory Affairs
• Richard Cornett - Director of Communications
• Bonnie Nichols - Director of Administrative Services

Office bearers

• Glenn Stith Chairman - Monsanto Agricultural
• Steve Mansfield, Vice Chairman - H.J. Baker
• Walt Johnson Secretary/Treasurer The Lyman Group.
• Zöe Henderson, Dow AgroSciences,
• Steve Gillette, PotashCorp
• Steve Alexander, Helena Chemical Co.
• Steve Beckley President as well as CEO

Also members of the Board of Directors are:

• Tom Beardsley Beardsley & Son, Inc.
• Neil Budge Crompton Uniroyal Chemical
• Johnny Council The Tremont Group
• Rich French Bear River Supply
• Gordon Miller Western Farm Service
• Lonnie Sloan E.I. DuPont De Nemours Co.
• Bob Smith CALAMCO
• Dean Storkan Trical, Inc
• Jack Wackerman Haifa Nutritech [7]

Contact information

4460 Duckhorn Drive, Suite A
Sacramento, CA 95834
Phone: (916) 574-9744
Fax: (916) 574-9484
Web: http://www.healthyplants.org

External links

• Steve Beckley, "State plant health group celebrates first anniversary", Western Farm Press, Nov 3, 2001.
• Paul Elias, "California County Ballot Measure to Ban Biotech Crops Scares Industry: Calif. County to Vote on Modified Plants', Associated Press, January 9, 2004.
• Mike Geniella, "Biotech backers pile on cash in Mendocino: $150,000 to fight modified crop ban brings total to $500,000", The Press Democrat, March 2, 2004.
• "Mendocino County: Measures", The Press Democrat, March 4, 2004.
• Mike Geniella, "Mendocino County voters ban biotech crops: First county in U.S. to bar gene-altered farming", The Press Democrat, March 3, 2004.
• Ross S. Irvine, "'They had the money, we had the people': Passion defeats well financed biotech PR campaign", ePublic Relations, March 2004.