Blog from Chris Crutchfield: Japan Chronicles, Day Three

We spent the better part of the day Monday at the USA Rice Federation contractor's office reviewing strategy for the upcoming fiscal year of Foreign Agricultural Service funding and associated activities and preparing for tonight -- the first meeting of the Japan Promotion Advisory Board. The concept of the board is to bring together experts and professionals in different areas of the culinary arena to help give us ideas on promoting California Rice in Japan. On the board we have an importer, a wholesaler, an executive chef from a major food service chain with hundreds of outlets here in Japan, the director of a cooking school in Tokyo, and two food journalists. The meeting and dinner gave us an opportunity to listen and learn about different ideas about consumer promotion, food service usage, and media attention -- among other things. Due to the rather reserved nature of the Japanese culture, we weren't quite sure what to expect with the first meeting. However, we were very excited about the open and candid exchange of ideas.


Monday also gave me the opportunity to talk with several people I have known for more than two decades here in Japan, and have become very close personal friends with.

Many of us in the industry know Ryo Kimura of Kitoku. Ryo's company has been a great friend of California rice from the very beginning. Kitoku has supported many of us in our efforts to export CA rice to Japan through the SBS system and get it straight to the consumer. He continues to fight that battle today despite the GOJ's efforts to change and manipulate the system. Kitoku was hit hard by the events of March 11; they had an entire rice milling facility destroyed in the region where the tsunami hit.

Many of us also know Yumi Kojima who has worked on our promotion team dating all the way back to the beginning with Uniflex Marketing, and she continues to work on trade servicing for our current contractor PRAP.

During our discussions, it became apparent that the Japanese people are still reeling from the disaster. This struggle is evident with the people that I meet and it seems clear that the after-effects from the earthquake and tsunami could be long lasting and widespread.

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Chris Crutchfield
President and CEO -- American Commodity Company

Chris Crutchfield is very proud to represent the third generation of his family to be involved in the rice industry. Currently Chris is involved in all aspects of California rice from production all the way to the grocery store shelf.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri in 1996, Chris moved back to California and joined with his father Paul Crutchfield in the formation of a rough rice pool for direct marketing to Turkey. Chris was responsible for the day-to-day management of the pool. That partnership developed into the formation of American Commodity Company (ACC) in 2000, and Chris assumed all direct management responsibilities for ACC.

Prior to establishing himself in the California rice industry, Chris worked in the press offices of Governor Pete Wilson as his Assistant Press Secretary. He also briefly taught secondary education in the California public school system.