The International Fresh Produce Association launched its largest-ever ad campaign in support of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children to coincide with today’s WIC National Day of Action. The WIC program, which provides supplemental benefits to mothers, infants and children battling food insecurity, is at risk of funding being slashed as part of the arguments on federal spending.   

The jingle-style ad, sung from the perspective of animated fruits and vegetables, leverages audio and visuals to bring awareness to the urgent funding crisis facing the WIC

The Controlled Environment Agriculture Alliance announced its new officers and members of its board of directors for 2024.

Taking the role of board chair is Dan Malech, senior vice president, strategy and general counsel for Plenty. Vice chair is Steve Campion, CFO of Bright Farms. Serving as treasurer is Tim Cunniff, co-founder and executive vice president of sales at Little Leaf Farms.

New members joining the board include Thomas van Dusseldorp, business development and sales director USA of KUBO Greenhouse Projects; John Ketler, president of Nature Fresh Farms; and Michael Wainscott, CEO

The new year has brought increased input and transportation expenses to produce suppliers and buyers. Obviously, this puts pressure on winter produce markets that rely on supply from growers in places like Chile and Peru for high-value commodities such as blueberries, grapes, citrus and mangos.

Blueberries, in particular, could be troublesome, according to ProduceIQ. “Chile is done, and Peru has yet to ramp up. The gap in supply is keeping blueberry prices perilously high, and containers are taking their time to arrive due to delays in the Panama Canal,” said Mark Campbell, founder and CEO of

Dole Food Co. launched a new weekly vessel service that will call the Northeast United States that started Dec. 31, 2023. The expanded service will increase capacity of tropical fresh fruits, including Dole branded bananas, pineapples, dragon fruit, mangos and limes coming to the U.S. from Colombia, Honduras and Guatemala into the port of Wilmington, DE.

The service will deploy two 1,200 FEU container vessels, MV Robin-2, and MV Robin-5 in a 14-day rotation, with one of these vessels making weekly ports of call in Santa Marta, Colombia, Puerto Castilla, Honduras, and a new port of service in

Dole Food Co. has kicked off a busy year of health, wellness and hunger-relief initiatives by extending its partnership with No Kid Hungry, a campaign of Share Our Strength, committed to ending hunger and poverty, for a third consecutive year in 2024. The company’s alliance with the national nonprofit began in summer 2020 in response to the impact of COVID-19 when schools closed and millions more U.S. children were left facing hunger.

Dole’s ongoing work with No Kid Hungry includes nutrition education, fundraising support and at-retail initiatives to help the thirteen million kids in the U.S

Church Brothers Farms announced that Amelia Firme has joined the company as vice president of packaging procurement. Firme has had an impressive 42-year career in purchasing, including 26 years as the director of purchasing at Organic Girl LLC.

In her new role, Firme will assume responsibility for all aspects of packaging procurement, including supplier relationship management, material procurement and cost controls. Her extensive industry background and unwavering dedication to quality and innovation will make her a valuable addition to the Church Brothers Farms leadership team.

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