Cathy Burns, CEO of the International Fresh Produce Association, and Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, opened this year’s Washington Conference, which was switched from its traditional September meeting date to June 10-12, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.

Among the topics Burns emphasized was improving and growing produce consumption. The plan is to expand the fresh fruit and vegetable program, include more fresh produce in USDA procurement programs, grow fruit and vegetable incentives in SNAP, and support implementation of the updated WIC food package.

“This industry is an

As summertime harvests continue along the coastal valleys of Central California (Salinas and Santa Maria Valleys), weather patterns continue to impact yields and quality across the region. The cool wet spring hindered normal planting schedules and growth cycles across the region, followed by some of the coolest spring temperatures on record. 

Temperatures have generally run 10-15 degrees below normal over the past few months. Weeks of below-average temperatures (with a few minor heat waves) along with warm humid overnight temperatures and heavy morning marine layer look to continue into mid

 On Monday, June 10, 2024, Partnership for a Healthier America and the International Fresh Produce Association’s Foundation for Fresh Produce co-hosted the first-ever Produce for All Leadership Summit at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC. This invite-only event gathered 130 leaders from across the business, public, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors to share knowledge and create an actionable plan to double produce consumption in communities around the United States.

Key companies and organizations represented included the American Heart Association, DC Central Kitchen, Feeding America, FMI

As part of its ongoing commitment to expand access to healthy foods, Meijer is now accepting the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits on its Meijer app, providing a more convenient option for customers to pay for groceries like fresh produce and milk.

The new payment capability was unveiled across all of its Midwest stores last week, enabling SNAP participants to pay for their Meijer app orders using an Electronic Benefits Transfer card. The enhancement represents the latest way Meijer is increasing access to healthy food and beverages and comes just in time for Midwest

CMI Orchards is primed to supercharge summer sales this Fourth of July. Rochelle Bohm, vice president of marketing, said patriotic holidays like the Fourth of July offer retailers special opportunities to honor veterans and support military families.

“CMI’s American Dream program offers a dynamic in-store merchandising opportunity, allowing retailers to give back to military charities. A portion of proceeds from every box sold can be donated to a military charity of the retailer’s choice, or to a cause CMI already supports such as the Wounded Warrior Project, Soldiers' Angels or Operation

The International Fresh Produce Association released two new reports underscoring the impact of the agricultural labor crisis on the fresh produce industry and U.S. food security. The reports, conducted by Texas A&M University, Center for North American Studies, and leading agricultural experts, found that unless Congress acts quickly, American consumers will rely on foreign countries to meet U.S. food needs, jeopardizing food security and national security.

“Out-of-control labor costs threaten to upend our food supply chain and push America’s fresh produce industry into crisis,” said IFPA