“We Have to Grow Our Way to Prosperity”

The IFPA chief discusses labor, trade, consumption, retail realities and what it will take to build a stronger future for fresh produce.

Turning Healthy Intentions Into Category Growth

Economic pressure has not reduced demand so much as sharpened expectations about how food earns its place in daily life.

As shoppers pay closer attention to flavor and consistency, tomato suppliers see growth shifting toward a higher-value sales mix.

Produce companies are under pressure to reduce plastic, but shelf life and food waste are making the shift harder than it looks.

The produce industry’s consumption problem may have less to do with price than with waste, planning and a widening culinary skills gap.

After winning shopper curiosity and investor attention, the category now faces the harder task of turning trial into a lasting grocery habit.

The category is already trusted by shoppers; suppliers now see growth in making the category easier to use and harder to overlook.

California growers are investing in efficiency and recharge, but tighter supplies are also forcing harder decisions about what, and whether, to farm.

Winning shoppers in a changing retail market requires suppliers to connect category strategy with marketing that gives consumers a reason to buy.

Built on deep agricultural roots in Mexico, Divine Flavor has developed into a multi-origin supplier of premium grapes and vegetables.