ORLANDO, FL - Five years into its IFPA Global presence, the Colombia Avocado Board (CAB) has plenty more to bring to the table. As Avocados from Colombia continue building their place in the U.S. market, the Board is heading into this year’s show ready to talk retail partnerships, year-round availability, growing export capabilities, and the next chapter of its story.

And at Booth #3585, CAB is bringing a little piece of Colombia along with it. Attendees will step into a modern Colombian café surrounded by panoramic orchard imagery, where they can grab a cup of Colombian-grown coffee and connect with the CAB team about the role Colombian avocados can play within the U.S. supply mix.

“Most importantly, we're looking forward to continuing conversations with retailers about how CAB can support their avocado programs,” Manuel Michel, Managing Director of the Colombia Avocado Board, shared. “Every retailer has different needs, and our goal is to be a collaborative partner, helping retailers incorporate Colombian avocados into their programs, tell the story at shelf and create opportunities to connect with shoppers.”

Five Years and Counting

The 2026 show marks CAB’s fifth consecutive year representing Avocados from Colombia at IFPA Global, and the organization is using the occasion to showcase just how much has changed during that time. Retailers are incorporating Colombian avocados into their mixes more frequently, according to CAB, while relationships, infrastructure, and market development continue progressing behind the scenes.

Colombia’s ability to produce avocados throughout the year is an important part of that conversation, giving buyers a complementary origin that can work alongside other avocado sources.

“CAB’s role is to help build that bridge between the Colombian avocado industry and the U.S. marketplace through education, marketing support and collaboration,” Michel explained. “That's the momentum we're most excited to continue building at IFPA.”

That bridge is getting some additional infrastructure behind it as well.

Three avocado packing facilities have come online in Colombia this year, increasing packing and export capacity while advancing quality assurance and cold-chain capabilities. The completion of the Port of Antioquia has also created a closer export route from important growing regions, with the potential to reduce transit times into U.S. markets.

For CAB, those developments add another layer to the conversations it plans to have with buyers at IFPA: not simply where Colombian avocados are today, but where the origin can fit strategically into supply plans throughout the year.

Raising the Story

The show floor won’t be the only place attendees get a taste of what CAB has been working on. The board is sponsoring the IFPA General Session Lunch on October 14, where attendees will be among the first to see its Raised by Colombia video and hear more about the campaign’s next chapter.

The storytelling component goes hand in hand with CAB’s larger retail strategy. Beyond discussing supply, the organization wants to work with retailers on how the Colombian origin story can translate at shelf and give shoppers another reason to connect with the category.

“We're most looking forward to discussing partnership opportunities,” Michel said. “CAB's approach is collaborative: understanding what retailers and their shoppers need, then identifying where Avocados from Colombia can add value to their programs.”

That means conversations around supply mix and year-round availability, but it also means listening.

“We want to hear directly from retailers about what's working, where they see opportunities and what additional support they need,” Michel continued. “That feedback helps shape CAB’s priorities and ensures we continue developing programs and resources that provide meaningful value to the industry.”

Café Conversations

Before the show floor gets moving, CAB will also bring association members and industry partners together for its Annual Meeting on the morning of October 14. The gathering will review the organization’s progress, look toward priorities for the year ahead, and elect members to its Board of Directors.

Then, it’s back to the café.

With Colombian coffee pouring, orchard views filling Booth #3585, and another year of avocado conversations on deck, CAB is making its fifth IFPA appearance about more than looking back at how far the origin has come.

The team is ready to talk about where Avocados from Colombia can go next, and ANUK will be watching as those conversations continue to take root across the U.S. marketplace.

ONTARIO, CANADA - Like many consumers, I have been on a major cucumber kick this year, so when I heard Pure Flavor® would be shining a spotlight on its Georgia Grown Organic Long English Cucumbers at Southern Innovations 2026, my interest was piqued. Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice President, sat down with me to discuss cucumbers and more.

“Our Georgia Grown Organic Long English Cucumbers tell a bigger story than just great produce. These seedless cucumbers are grown at our Southern Flavor Farms greenhouse in Fort Valley, Georgia. They're crisp, refreshing, consistent, and available year-round,” Matt began. “We'll also be featuring our Southern Grown Tomatoes on the Vine, another great example of premium greenhouse produce grown close to the markets we serve. Through the Georgia Grown program, there's a real connection to the region and its agricultural heritage that we're proud to be part of. Both products reflect what we're building in Georgia: quality produce, grown locally, with the consistency retailers and consumers can count on.”

According to Matt, the Pure Flavor team is most looking forward to the one-of-a-kind conversations that take place at Southern Innovations. Having the opportunity to connect with retailers and industry partners and hearing what's on their minds across the produce category sets the stage for a successful year of collaboration.

“Southern Innovations brings together a community that's genuinely passionate about moving the industry forward, and there's an energy in those conversations that you don't get anywhere else,” Matt added. “For us, it's a great opportunity to talk about what's happening on the ground in Georgia and how locally grown greenhouse produce can help retailers reduce supply uncertainty, strengthen their local sourcing story, and plan with more confidence heading into the year ahead.”

When attendees walk away from the Pure Flavor booth, they will leave with a clear picture of what Georgia Grown means for the company and its retail partners. It is a value proposition about growing closer to the people Pure Flavor serves, supporting regional agriculture, and delivering freshness and flavor consumers can count on every season.

For retailers specifically, this translates to inventory stability, a dependable local source, and a product that elevates shelf appeal year-round. Georgia Grown isn't just a label; it's a commitment to the region and to growing produce in a way that benefits everyone from the grower to the shopper.

“Georgia is becoming a bigger part of the Pure Flavor story every year. We're continuing to invest in growing for the Southeast and strengthening our connection to the region. It's not just about adding acres; it's about deepening relationships with the retailers and communities we serve and making sure we're growing the right products in the right places,” Matt concluded. “We're excited to share more about Georgia Grown and what it looks like when you grow better, closer to the markets that matter most.”

If you will be attending Southern Innovations this year, be sure to visit Pure Flavor at booth #424. Greatness awaits.