At the end of 2023, Bob Parker retired as President and CEO of the National Peanut Board after serving in that capacity for a decade. For his tenure and leadership, he was presented with the annual Valor Award by Valent at the 2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference.

“I tell people if you cut my arm, instead of blood, peanut butter would come out of my veins,” said Parker as he accepted the award.

Parker has been heavily involved in the peanut industry for decades and has served as chairman of the American Peanut Council, American Peanut Shellers Association, the Peanut Institute and the Peanut Administrative Committee. He has served on the Boards of the Peanut Foundation and Peanut Standards Board.

He also served as the luncheon speaker at the conference on Thursday and gave his perspective on how far the industry has come and how far it could still yet go in the future. “When I started with the peanut board in 2012, the previous five years, the U.S. average production of peanuts was two million tons,” said Parker. “The last five years I was with the peanut board, the average production of peanuts in the U.S. was three million tons… I think within ten years we’re going to see four million ton production, I think it’s coming.”

The question, he says, is “What are you going to do with another million tons of peanuts?”

Listen below:
SPGC24 Valor award presentation 1:56
SPGC24 Bob Parker remarks 20:28

2024 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album