CALGARY, ALBERTA - The importance of connection is stressed throughout our industry and Village Farms Fresh is taking that to heart. With support from the Big Bend Conservation Alliance (BBCA), the company was able to offer enriching educational experiences to young learners across Texas.

“Village Farms Fresh has a long history in its dedication to interacting and working with our local community whenever the opportunity presents itself. We were very excited to work with our local youth and school districts when the BBCA reached out to us with this valuable initiative,” remarked Derin Gemmel, Vice President of Human Resources.

According to a press release, the greenhouse tours provided by the Village Farms Fresh team were integrated into the classroom curriculum focused on sustainable agriculture.

The mission for the BBCA program is rooted in enhancing food accessibility and educating students about sustainable farming methods, such as the hydroponic technologies employed by Village Farms Fresh.

To read more, click here.

ANUK will continue to deliver the latest on news from across the industry, so stay tuned!

BIRMINGHAM, AL - We are excited to be reporting on a new retail partnership this morning! The Save Mart Companies has tapped Shipt to provide delivery service from its three banner stores: Save Mart, Lucky California, and FoodMaxx. This partnership adds more than 170 stores to the Shipt Marketplace in California and Nevada.

“Our mission is to continue meeting the evolving needs of our customers each day. We are proud to partner with a great brand like Shipt, who can help us deliver a seamless shopping and delivery experience for our customers at an affordable price,” said Tamara Pattison, Chief Digital Officer at Save Mart. “By increasing and diversifying our portfolio of e-commerce partners, we’re allowing customers to access what they love most about shopping online.”

The Save Mart Companies’ mission of celebrating the contributions of California agriculture offers Shipt members and customers the chance to purchase items from a uniquely local retailer, a press release stated. The Shipt marketplace will offer Save Mart’s selection of local produce and “Valley Proud” expertise to Lucky California’s bold and eclectic flavor offerings and FoodMaxx’s outstanding deals-focused design.

Shipt will provide full pick, pack, and last-minute delivery service via its fulfillment network. Members and customers can find out if their zip code is covered by visiting Shipt’s coverage map and typing in their address.

“Shipt is excited to welcome The Save Mart Companies as a new partner in California and Nevada,” said Katie Stratton, Shipt’s Chief Growth Officer. “Our partnership with their three
beloved brands offers shoppers convenient, same-day delivery of fresh, value-driven products. Together, we look forward to the continued expansion of our West Coast footprint.”

Keep reading ANUK as we report on more industry partnerships.

MUNICH, GERMANY - Herzlich willkommen to a new leader for globe-trotting IFCO! Looking across the world to Germany, the company recently appointed Dr. Sebastian Grams as Chief Digital Officer (CDO). 

“I am thrilled to join IFCO and be part of an organization committed to driving sustainability and innovation. I look forward to leveraging my experience to accelerate IFCO's digital transformation journey, develop cutting-edge digital products, and enhance customer value,” Grams stated.

With a career spanning over two decades, Dr. Grams has held various senior management positions in Technical Development and IT/Digitalization, specifically within the Volkswagen Group, according to a release. 

Not only is he a seasoned executive with extensive experience in digitalization and innovation, Dr. Grams is renowned for his passion for digitalization and his ability to drive organizational change—characteristics the company said will lead its digital transformation efforts. 

“Dr. Grams brings a wealth of experience and expertise to IFCO, and we are excited to have him lead our digital transformation efforts,” Michael Pooley, Chief Executive Officer, stated. “His proven track record of driving digital innovation and business growth will be invaluable as we continue to evolve and innovate in the digital age.”

With an eye toward driving the development of new digital products and enhancing customer value, Dr. Grams will now contribute to IFCO’s aim in further enhancing its innovative digital capabilities in areas like track and trace solutions, ensuring transparency, and efficiency throughout the supply chain. 

To read more details about this new leader’s background, click here. 

Congratulations to Dr. Grams and the IFCO team!

IRVINE, CA & OTTAWA, CANADA - An admirable collaboration is taking place between two prominent industry associations. Western Growers (WG) and the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) are launching a working group to address the evolving landscape of packaging requirements imposed by both governments and retailers throughout North America.

“Packaging is key to ensuring the quality, affordability, and safety of fresh produce,” said WG President and Chief Executive Officer Dave Puglia. “Consumers are requesting high-quality fresh produce from our growers and changes in packaging. As such, the industry is facing new and aggressive demands from both the public and private sector—demands that are often in conflict with each other, and don’t fully recognize industry realities and progress. The intersection of sustainability with packaging must be addressed for the continued trade with our most important partners and continued availability of nutritious foods for consumers.”

Dozens of grower associations from across North America convened to discuss the current state of produce packaging and outline goals for the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment for North America (SPPA), a press release stated. SPPA will develop unified guidelines for use across the North American fresh produce supply chain, with a target completion date of December 2025.

WG and CPMA are actively engaged on the Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) pre-proposal to constrain allowable fresh produce packaging in Canadian grocery stores. The ECCC is currently advocating for a significant reduction in produce plastic packaging, demanding that 75 percent of all produce be sold in bulk or non-plastic packaging by 2026, increasing to 95 percent by 2028.

“Packaging plays a critical role in enabling the sustainability of North American and global fresh produce supply chains—from ensuring food safety and minimizing food waste to mitigating packaging waste,” said Ron Lemaire, CPMA President. “The trend of diverging market and regulatory packaging requirements is a significant risk to fresh produce supply chains, hence the strategic importance of developing and adopting North American guidelines for fresh produce packaging."

The SPPA project plans to develop industry-focused analysis, white papers, and web tools on fresh produce packaging technology for U.S. specialty crop growers; host workshops to educate and align stakeholders; organize technical working group meetings to leverage industry expertise to craft the tools above; and launch a public-facing resource to inform stakeholders on how to use the guide once it becomes available.

Stay tuned for more industry updates from ANUK.

NOGALES, AZ - July is a month of opportunities, especially for building relationships between foodservice operators and supply-chain companies who strategize solutions across the segment for the betterment of fresh produce. With the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Foodservice Conference nearing, best-in-class companies will join together to talk about innovation, market opportunities, and challenges in an effort to better the category and plan for the future. Companies like Divine Flavor are taking advantage of such opportunities, bringing their own vision for foodservice and growth across the segment.

“As a leading supplier of table grapes and hot house veg, it’s important for us to connect with this critical segment of the industry, as foodservice is its own unique component,” Patrick Cortes, Vice President of Sales, shares. “The backbone is our farms producing some of the highest quality, flavorful, and safest products. In foodservice, having a consistent supply is paramount. As a vertically integrated grower-shipper, we want to offer solutions to our food service providers that guarantee the surety of supply for their programs.”

Divine Flavor’s core driving vision revolves around the team’s dedication to ensuring top-notch, quality produce, excellence, and value for all customers in all industry segments.

“Our ultimate goal is to be recognized as the go-to source for consistently fresh produce of the highest quality in the market. This commitment extends to our current customers and those we hope to serve in the future,” Patrick continues. “Through contracted pricing, we firmly believe we are a viable and dependable source for our food service partners.”

With the Foodservice Conference on the horizon, the show will coincide perfectly with Divine Flavor’s Baja and Central Mexico programs. The company will showcase organic and conventionally colored bell peppers, mini peppers, Long English and Persian cucumbers, yellow squash, and Italian zucchini, as well as tomatoes such as the company’s staple Roma, Beefsteaks, and TOVs. In addition, attendees can expect Divine Flavor’s sweet-snacking Magnifico grape tomatoes.

“While the Mexican table grape season will be all but finished, we will start transitioning into our new California table grape program with premium varieties and getting set for our sizeable offshore grape program from Peru and Chile,” Patrick details. “We will be showcasing each of these items and explaining the farms they come from. Our company is dedicated to a six-pillar philosophy focusing on quality/flavor, food safety, social responsibility, traceability, organics, and sustainability.”

Patrick notes that each of these pillars complies at the highest levels and certification, and each product aligns with Divine Falvor’s six-pillar promise.

“At Divine Flavor, we understand the unique challenges that companies in the foodservice space face, such as surety of supply, stable pricing, and special packs. In addition to outstanding quality produce, we strive to be solutions-based. Whether it’s varied pack styles, sizes, counts, grades, or more, we understand that flexibility is important to being a great foodservice supplier,” Patrick concludes.

Find out more about the Divine Flavor program at booth #519 for this year’s IFPA Foodservice Conference.

See you all next month!