TUBAC, AZ - The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) is gearing up for its highly anticipated Spring Policy Summit, set to take place on April 2, 2025, at the picturesque Tubac Golf Resort & Spa in Tubac, Arizona. The event will be followed by the North American Produce Food Safety Summit on April 3, also at the same location.

This annual gathering serves as a vital platform for government officials, industry leaders, and fresh produce professionals to address key issues impacting the trade and regulation of fresh produce. Attendees can expect to gain valuable insights into the latest trends and challenges shaping the industry, according to the press release.

Event Details:

• What: FPAA Spring Policy Summit 2025
• When: April 2, the Food Safety Summit on April 3
• Where: Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, Tubac, Arizona
• Register: Click here to Register

The Spring Policy Summit will feature expert panelists discussing critical topics, including:

• Social responsibility in the produce industry
• Economic and political impacts of U.S.-Mexico trade
• Evolving trade environments
• Regulatory updates affecting the fresh produce sector

The event will also provide ample networking opportunities, culminating in a closing reception on April 2^nd.

On April 3^rd, the focus will shift to food safety with the North American Produce Food Safety Summit and Working Group Meeting, where attendees will explore collaborative strategies to enhance food safety across the continent.

Stay tuned for updates on speakers and session details. The FPAA looks forward to welcoming industry members to Tubac for this engaging and informative event.

BENTONVILLE, AR - Walmart has unveiled strategic pilots with India-based startups to provide solutions for the company’s U.S. supply chain and sourcing operations, according to a release on APN News.

“Tech innovation is what drives real-world solutions to move forward a globally resilient supply chain. By collaborating with global innovators, we’re leveraging fresh ideas to build a more resilient supply network,” said Kyle Carlyle, Vice President, Sourcing Innovation and Surety of Supply, Walmart. “As a people-led, tech-powered company, we are always looking for new ways to innovate. These three brands demonstrate our innovation goals across both the food and textile industry.”

According to the source, the three startups selected for pilot programs include Pune-based KBCols Sciences, Chennai-based GreenPod Labs, and Bengaluru-based Cropin; these companies participated in the Walmart Growth Summit last year.

Solutions from each of these companies will help drive innovation at scale across the retailer's supply chains. The pilot programs will test solutions that augment the availability of better and more fresh products for Walmart’s consumers in the U.S. and around the world, reduce product waste, and create sustainable alternatives for intermediate products used in manufacturing processes.

The Walmart Growth Summit in India is part of a global series designed to connect entrepreneurs, suppliers, and innovators with Walmart’s extensive supply chain network, providing an advantageous platform for participants to present technologies and solutions that align with Walmart’s focus on sustainability, efficiency, and innovation.

Sourcing innovation pilots are designed to help Walmart make more informed sourcing decisions, enhance resource efficiency, and drive measurable progress toward a more resilient global supply chain, the source stated.

Click here to read about the innovative solutions piloted by each startup.

BENSON, NC - At its Annual Meeting held in Goldsboro, North Carolina, the NC Sweetpotato Commission elected a new slate of officers.

Each year the board of directors has the privilege of selecting a recipient of the NC Sweetpotato Commission Distinguished Service Award, a press release stated. This award is to be presented to an individual (or individuals) who has rendered outstanding service to North Carolina’s sweetpotato industry. For his contribution to the NC Sweetpotato Industry, Commission and its growers, the 2025 Distinguished Service Award was proudly presented to John Cooper, President of Connect C, LLC.

John Cooper has over 45 years of experience working as a corporate CEO and government agency administrator. John served in the administrations of three United States Presidents. He served as State Executive Director of the North Carolina Farm Service Agency from 1981 to 1992, under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. In April 2001, John was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as the State Director of USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Rural Development for North Carolina.

While work for The North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission was “ad hoc” during the work on the ‘cooperative issue’, NCSC was John’s first ever registered client as a lobbyist in 2010. Since then, he has worked tirelessly to see the Commission succeed. John was instrumental in securing a recurring international marketing allocation from the NC General Assembly, as well as the $5M G.A. grant to combat GRKN and, most recently, an additional recurring marketing allocation of $500k, annually.'

At this same meeting, the NC Sweetpotato Commission elected a new slate of officers. Some have served on the board in past years, whereas others are new faces looking to make their mark in the industry.

The 2025-2026 Officer Slate is as follows:

1. Rob Hill of Tull Hill Farms, who served as the 2024 President was re-elected to another term.
2. Brent Leggett of Leggett Farming Partnership, a past President of the commission, was elected to the Board of Directors and elected to the seat of Vice President.
3. Thomas Joyner of Nash Produce was selected to serve another term as Secretary/Treasurer.

The remaining NCSC Board of Directors include:

• Richard Anderson, Anderson Farms
• José Pepe Calderon, Barnes Farming/FarmPak
• Sarah Carraway, Lancaster Farms
• Rob Glover, Rob Glover Farms
• Kim LeQuire, Kornegay Family Farms & Produce
• Annette Starling, Millstream Farms
• Scott Sullivan, Sullivan Farms
• Micheal Wood, J. Roland Wood Farms
• Lyn Vick, Vick Family Farms

"Recognizing 2024 was a rough growing season, the Board is looking for a successful sweet year,” remarks Michelle Grainger, Executive Director of the NCSC “Looking ahead, the industry is optimistic that new relationships will help to push consumption, and position our state as a dependable and reliable source—known for its quality and consistency” concludes Grainger.

OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce®, a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, announced the expansion of its diversified sourcing strategy to provide a year-round supply of ripe avocados and mangos to the UK and European markets.

According to a press release, over the last year, Mission Produce has added 8+ sources to its global sourcing network to meet growing global demand for avocados and mangos.

“The European and UK markets offer exciting opportunities for the growth of the avocado and mango categories—and Mission Produce is the go-to for supply reliability year-round,” said Paul Frowde, Managing Director, Mission Produce Europe and UK. “About a third of global avocado imports went to Europe and the UK last year, and those imports keep growing. So, we continue to invest in our diversified sourcing strategy and our relationships with top growers around the world to stay ahead of demand and drive the consumption of avocados and mangos in global markets.”

As the release explained, Mission's diversified sourcing strategy is made up of 21+ countries of origin and more than 5,700 hectares of vertical integration. Mission is vertically integrated in Peru, Guatemala, Colombia with a leading grower partner, and South Africa through a joint venture. Vertical integration enables Mission Produce to provide supply reliability and quality oversight from field to fork.

“In addition to our year-round supply, we’re driving consumption by introducing a new standard of ripe avocados and mangos. Consumers want fruit that is ripe and ready to eat, and Mission Produce knows how to get the ripeness right. We're focused on quality consistency to deliver a positive consumer experience with our World’s Finest Avocados™ and World’s Finest Mangos™,” added Frowde.

As Masters in the Art of Ripening, Mission Produce leverages state-of-the-art technology, science-based ripening methods, and a world-class team of Ripe Masters to ripen fruit expertly to customer specifications. Specifically in the UK, Mission’s exclusive ‘Mission Control’ ripening innovation enables next-level ripening precision—improving ripening consistency by as much as 38 percent compared to the industry standard, the release noted.

Mission Produce will be attending Fruit Logistica Berlin at booth C-34 in Hall 25 from Feb. 5–7, 2025.