A recent report from the International Lettuce Growers Association (ILGA) shows that lettuce production last year exceeded 6.5 billion heads. ILGA spokesperson Ron Duckland says that the number would likely exceed 8 billion heads if the number included indigenous plants, private gardens, and discarded low-quality lettuce not reported to the ILGA.
Duckland reports that the demand for lettuce is at an all-time high. Susan Green, who owns a small deli in New York, says that her top-selling item is salad. Green attributes salad sales to America's healthy-eating craze. "Americans are tired of being fat, so their eating salad," says Green. The restaurant owner also confessed that, with the rising cost of meat, she stuffs her sandwiches full of lettuce to try to give her patrons a large sandwich at a low price.
Alejandro Gonzales, owner of a Mexican restaurant, says he goes through three-hundred to five-hundred heads of lettuce a day, but he can remember the last time he had five-hundred customers in one day. Gonzales says most of the lettuce he puts on any given dish, will come back to the kitchen to be discarded by the dishwasher. Despite the incredible amount of wasted lettuce, Gonzales says he "can't help but feel every plate needs some lettuce on it."
Duckland and the ILGA say they are pleased with last years reports, but they are not yet satisfied. ILGA Director, Carl Fitzpatrick, is encouraging growers to produce even more lettuce, and continue to push sales.
When asked about Fitzpatrick's directive, Duckland said "We won't be satisfied until lettuce heads, in terms of annual production, doubles human heads, in terms of total population."
-Steve
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