“I don’t believe the government should tell you what you can have on your grill in your backyard on Saturday. What the government should do is not feed the crisis. So we can’t have a department of Health and Mental Hygiene fighting childhood obesity, diabetes, and asthma and a Department of Education preparing 960,000 meals a day that cause childhood obesity, diabetes, and asthma. So what you do with your dollar is up to you. But on taxpayers dollars, we should not be feeding a health care crisis”
NYC Mayor Elect Eric Adams speaking to Grub Street/ New York Magazine
September 28, 2021.
At midnight on January 1, 2022, Eric Leroy Adams will be sworn in as New York City’s 110th mayor. His life story is as big as the city he will soon lead. A strict vegan, Adams eats only fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. Six years ago a diabetes scare caused partial blindness and nerve damage in his hands and feet, Adams traveled to the Cleveland Clinic for answers. The Lifestyle and Integrative Medicine department at the clinic recommended that Adams dramatically change his diet. Mayor-elect Adams is now in the best shape of his life. Last year he wrote a book about his experience called “Healthy at Last”. During his campaign, this stylish hard-charging mayor-elect had been spotted at trendy nightspots and fundraisers downing plates of broccoli, spinach, and kale.
Eric Adams will be the second African American mayor in New York history. He will not hesitate to use his power of the purse to increase access to healthy food choices and his bully pulpit to encourage lifestyle and diet changes for New Yorkers – especially in nutritionally underserved communities. However, Mayor-elect Adams will not legislate good eating habits for New Yorkers. His friend and mentor, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg learned that lesson with his catastrophic “soda ban” proposal in 2014. Adams has said though that he plans to launch “lifestyle medicine clinics” throughout New York City’s five boroughs. They will encourage increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Adams is not afraid to mix it up with his fellow New Yorkers to take more personal responsibility for their health and well-being. Ten years ago when he was a Brooklyn State Senator representing the 20th district he started a “Stop the Sag” billboard campaign to encourage Brooklyn teenagers to take more pride in how they dress. That fad has now passed.
The general perception inside and outside of New York City is that the politics of the city lean liberal – and they do. But there has always been a practical side to gritty New Yorkers. Adams, a Democrat, is considered a moderate. He describes himself as a “practical progressive” and has built a broad coalition of supporters across many demographic groups and constituencies – including business. He vows to be a “GSD Mayor – Get Stuff Done”.
There is no shortage of challenges for this Mayor-elect. The Covid 19 pandemic has impacted the New York City economy more than many other areas of the country due to its reliance on tourism and white-collar jobs – many of which are now remote. Besides revitalizing the New York City economy, Adam’s promises to improve public safety, increase affordable housing, repair New York’s broken judicial system and create more educational opportunities for all New Yorkers.
Adams has succeeded in his life by facing challenges head-on. This self-described “blue collar” Mayor was the fourth of six children. He grew up in a rodent-infested tenement in Brooklyn. His mother cleaned houses and his alcoholic father was a butcher. When he was eight the family saved enough money to buy a modest home in South Jamaica, Queens. As a teenager, he got in trouble with the law and was beaten by two New York City police officers. It was that experience that motivated him to reform the NYPD from within. Diagnosed late in his academic career as dyslexic – Adams went on to graduate second in his class at the Police Academy. Eventually, he became a captain at New York’s 6th precinct in Greenwich Village. His sights though were set on higher office. After retiring from the NYPD. Adams went on to become a Brooklyn State Senator, and more recently the Brooklyn Borough President. His deeply religious mother, Dorothy passed away last year. She was in many ways his north star. To honor her memory he will take his oath of office on her well-worn bible.
So what kind of impact can New York City Mayor-elect Adams have on the fresh produce industry?
The answer will depend on how successful he is as mayor – his popularity and his ability to “Get Stuff Done”. His life story and record of achievement is compelling and bodes well for New York City. Clearly, the fresh produce industry now has a once-in-a-generation ally and advocate in City Hall. If he is successful his approach can be a role model for the rest of the country. It is now up to the produce industry to work with Mayor-elect Eric Adams and his team to find ways to increase consumption of healthy fresh fruits and vegetables to benefit all New Yorkers. Let’s get to work !
-Craig Padover
CAP Marketing and Sales