OTTAWA, ON - There’s nothing like a centennial to get the party started! Not only is this year’s Canadian Produce Marketing Association’s 2025 Annual Convention and Trade Show (CPMA 2025 Fresh Week) 90 percent sold out as of June 26, but the non-profit organization will also be celebrating its 100-year anniversary.

“We are looking forward to reconnecting with industry members once again in Montreal,” says Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “This year’s event will be even more special as we will not only provide members with exceptional education, networking, and business development opportunities but also celebrate the organization’s 100 years of supporting the growth of the produce industry.”

A press release stated that due to the 90 percent sell-out, the remaining space will be on sale on a first-come, first-serve basis. The event will host more than 300 companies at over 650 booths, comprised of major growers, importers, and exporters from around the world.

Concurrent events include the New Produce Showcase program which introduces innovative products to the market, as well as an Innovation Zone that will feature cutting-edge technology, products, and services. Speaker sessions will be held with industry experts, along with social evenings for networking opportunities and connecting with peers.

The CPMA Annual Convention and Trade Show brings together attendees from the entire produce supply chain and buy-side, from farm gate to dinner plate, each year. It is also Canada’s largest produce industry event!

CPMA 2025 Fresh Week will take place April 8-10, 2025, in Montreal, Quebec, at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Exhibitor info and opportunities can be found on the event’s website here.

Don’t forget to stick with AndNowUKnow for more upcoming industry events.

CHARLOTTE, NC - The Organic Produce Summit 2024 is nearly here, presenting an opportunity for many companies in fresh produce who jump at the chance to share their unique programs in a high-quality and intimate atmosphere. Dole Food Company is one of those best-in-class operations bringing its platform this year. With an anniversary to celebrate, we jumped at the chance to showcase its message.

“With more than 25 years of organic banana program experience, Dole’s credentials as a world-class organic grower are already firmly established,” Bil Goldfield, Director of Corporate Communications, shares with me. “Dole is the largest grower and distributor of both premium organic bananas and pineapples in the United States and should be the brand retailers turn to in this space, with practices and scale to deliver consistent quality products and meaningful impacts.”

With fresh produce leading the charge as a key category across global retail, Bil adds that more and more consumers are trading up from conventional to organic in many produce categories.

“The ability to consistently exceed and deliver on consumer expectations in organics is a core competency of Dole and a great reason to partner with us as a supplier of retail organic programs,” he continues. “Throughout the organization, we are committed to educating, inspiring, and empowering consumers to make healthier lifestyle choices. The Dole Way assures customers and consumers of safe, healthy, nutritious, and responsibly grown food. Through Dole, they can expect continuity and consistency of supply of fresh organic bananas and pineapples week in and week out, grown in accordance with best agronomic and sustainable practices.”

With a breadth and scale that allow better sourcing, transportation control, and efficiencies across the supply chain, Dole is increasing its advantages and benefits at each turn in the supply chain.

So, what can we hope to see at the OPS show? DOLE® Organic Bananas and DOLE® Organic Tropical Gold® Pineapples, of course!

“Shoppers today have ever-increasing expectations for both suppliers and retailers to reflect their cares and values in-store offerings—including environmental sustainability, climate mitigation, health and wellness, social issues, and food security and safety,” Bil expresses. “Over the past 25 years of organic production, Dole has pushed these ideals into the forefront of our business, and incorporated many of the best practices learned from organics into our conventional farming operations, too. However, we are not complacent, continuing to learn and push forward organic farming.”

Bil concludes by pointing out that Dole consistently delivers superior organic produce to consumers and partners 52 weeks of the year.

Check out booth #904 at OPS for more details. I hope Dole is on your list of must-see companies—I know it is definitely on mine.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, NEW ZEALAND - Back at the beginning of June, Zespri made headlines with the launch of an insightful study exploring the benefits of a fruit and vegetable-heavy diet for kids. After digging into the results of the Feel Good Study, I tapped Dr. Paul Blatchford, Zespri’s Innovation Manager – Core Products, for a deeper understanding of the study and its implications.

“Core to our beliefs, Zespri aims to make a positive contribution to people's livelihoods and wellbeing, and the Feel Good Study is a first step toward seeking concrete evidence of the positive effects of fruit and vegetables (FV) on primary school children’s overall development,” Paul shared. “By bridging the research gap, Zespri assessed the viability and acceptability of a FV intervention in children, emphasizing well-being outcomes. We hope that this study brings more awareness and research that shows the correlation between a healthy diet and children’s well-being to improve overall health.”

As Paul and the Zespri team shared, early education on healthy habits increases the likelihood of children carrying these traits into adulthood, directly influencing their lifelong well-being and creating long-time produce fanatics.

“At Zespri, we believe that more can be done to bring forward tangible results on nutrition outcomes on children’s well-being,” Paul continued. “We know of many studies that show the connection between increased FV consumption and improved physical health; however, research on the impacts of FV on children’s well-being has only started to gain interest in the past few years.”

The Feel Good Study unveiled promising insights that suggest positive changes to diet quality, vegetable intake, and behavioral outcomes in the intervention group.

“The main findings of the Feel Good Study demonstrated the potential of continuing to a full randomized controlled clinical study. Furthermore, the study suggested an increase in FV acceptance, overall diet quality, as well as vegetable intake among participants by raising awareness of the diverse options available locally,” added Paul. “A multi-component approach of school- and home-based strategies cultivated a stronger behavioral change among children and parents/caregivers. Although the results did not reach statistical significance, the study showed an indicative trend of positive improvement to emotional well-being scores in the intervention group compared to the control group.”

With the initial results from the Feel Good Study now published, Zespri will be focusing its attention on trials in China and other key markets and sharing those results once they are available.

“We believe the Feel Good Study sets the foundation for large-scale clinical trials that are set to take place in other key markets for the company as part of building greater knowledge and capacity to encourage sustainable change and cultivate positive eating habits in children in the long run,” Paul concluded.

As the company scales this exploration to other markets, Zespri aims to foster meaningful partnerships and welcome interest from other like-minded organizations who share the same commitment in promoting healthy eating habits from an early age, and ultimately building healthier societies.

ANUK will continue to report as the kiwifruit brand pushes further toward this mission, so stick around for more updates.

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - 2024 is already spelling out to be a successful year for food solutions company SpartanNash. The company is standing out as a top employer, demonstrated by its streak of national workplace award wins.

“As a People First Company, we strive to be the employer of choice, providing careers for a better life by creating a work environment where everyone can do their best work,” said SpartanNash Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Nicole Zube—who was recently recognized as a Silver Stevie® Award winner in the Human Resources Executive of the Year category. “We deeply appreciate our 17,000 Associates who cultivate our vibrant company culture and dedicate their time and talents to delivering the ingredients for a better life to the communities we serve.”

SpartanNash nabbed several workplace awards for 2024, landing a spot on Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces 2024, America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024, and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Job Starters 2024 lists.

The company was also named a Great Place to Work and appeared on the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Companies To Work For list in three different categories: Midwest, Overall, and Personal Care, Drug and Grocery Stores.

Spotlighted for its impressive communication, diversity, retention, and wellness, SpartanNash was honored as a Best & Brightest Company to Work For in The Nation for the 11^th consecutive year. In addition, the retail company was selected as one of The Nation’s Best & Brightest in Wellness for the fifth year in a row.

Read more about each of these recognitions by clicking here.

Congratulations to SpartanNash on its continuously successful workforce strategies!

MAITLAND, FL - The trade associations that support Florida’s dynamic group of growers, packers, and shippers are searching for a new leader. The associations within this umbrella include the Florida Tomato Exchange, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, and the Florida Tomato Committee.

This executive search comes after news that Michael Schadler, who has served as the Executive Vice President of the Florida Tomato Exchange since 2017, accepted a job with the Washington Apple Commission starting this September.

“We wish Michael well and congratulate him on his new position with the Washington apple industry,” commented J.M. Procacci, Chairman of the Florida Tomato Exchange. “This is a critical time for the U.S. tomato industry, so it’s important we find the right candidate to pick up where Michael is leaving off.”

According to a press release, the Florida Tomato Exchange manages government relations on issues affecting the domestic tomato industry. The new Executive Vice President will lead these efforts with the FTE’s Board of Directors.

Alongside serving as EVP of the Florida Tomato Exchange and Florida Tomato Growers Exchange, this new leader will also be the manager of the Florida Tomato Committee. 

“Between the two exchanges and the Florida Tomato Committee, this is a dynamic position that gets to touch all components of the Florida tomato industry—everything from working with tomato breeders at the University of Florida to representing the industry in Washington, DC,” said Tony DiMare, Vice Chairman of the Florida Tomato Exchange. “It’s a unique opportunity and a position that can be very impactful for our industry.” 

The same staff manages the three associations, but each organization has separate financial structures, membership, and boards of directors. Applications will be accepted through July 15, 2024.

Keep reading ANUK for the latest news in our industry.

SALINAS, CA - Digital technology solutions provider Inteligistics is tapping the expertise of an experienced food safety and agtech leader, welcoming Gary Fleming to the role of Chief Executive Officer.

“Industries from consumer package goods to manufacturing to travel have experienced significant gains in efficiency and profits from digitally transforming their operations,” stated Fleming. “Inteligistics is positioned and poised to accelerate these advances across the fresh foods supply chains. Companies today collect data from disparate sources, but fail to maximize the full value the data can provide. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), Inteligistics makes sense of the data to help companies look at each segment of their supply chain with a magnifying glass, reducing labor and energy use, increasing throughput, reducing shrink and waste, and selling more product at higher margins.”

Throughout his career, Fleming has been at the forefront of supply chain efficiencies and technologies, developing standards and industry best practices across the fresh food sectors to improve traceability and visibility in the supply chain, a press release explained. During his time as Vice President, Industry Technology and Standards at the International Fresh Produce Association, Fleming was one of the primary architects of the Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI) following the E coli spinach outbreak in 2008. His most recent position was CEO for Dapicon, a supply chain technology platform in the fresh foods sector.

“Digital transformation of fresh supply chains is in its infancy, and Inteligistics can help companies get there faster and reap the benefits sooner,” added Fleming. “I’m very excited for the opportunity we present to help companies squeeze greater value out of their legacy data platforms and transition to the operational standard where data drives smarter decisions, turns regulatory compliance expense into revenue and the industry experiences less waste and higher profits across the entire fresh supply chain.”

Fleming has also been a consultant to Inteligistics for the past year, spearheading the development of the data architecture and user interface for Inteligistics’ groundbreaking 1-Click FSMA 204 Compliance Reporting functionality, which was released in May 2024.

Upon Fleming’s appointment, Rao Mandava—who founded Inteligistics in 2010 and has been its CEO and Chairman since its inception—is now the company’s Executive Chairman. While Fleming is taking over responsibilities for daily operations and product marketing and development, Mandava will focus his activities on investor, industry, and key account relations, the release stated.

“Gary is the perfect person to take over day-to-day management of Inteligistics and spearhead our growth,” said Mandava. “His knowledge of food safety and technology, combined with his deep connections in fresh food and management experience, will guide our team as we help companies maximize the value from their digital transformations”.

To read more about Fleming’s career, click here.

And keep reading ANUK as we bring you more industry insights.