WASHINGTON, DC - Exciting news ahead for leadership hopefuls! The inaugural Produce for All Leadership Summit (PFALS), cohosted by the Foundation for Fresh Produce and Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), will convene on June 10 in Washington, DC.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans are currently struggling with a variety of one or more diet-related diseases caused by issues related to food access, availability, appeal, education, and choices. While the economic cost of this is measured at an astounding $1.3 trillion annually, the human cost is immeasurable and untenable,” said Cathy Burns, Chief Executive Officer of IFPA and The Foundation for Fresh Produce. “Our nation’s health crisis didn’t happen overnight. Creating lasting, sustainable change by coming together at the Produce for All Leadership Summit to develop strategies and interventions and to establish connections to boost consumption of fruits and vegetables will change the trajectory of human health. We believe the outcomes from this inaugural Summit will have a transformative impact on public health and shift the paradigm towards good food and healthier communities.”

According to a press release, the Summit will bring together 130 leaders from across the food, food equity, and health spectrums to create an actionable plan to double produce consumption in communities around the United States.

“PHA has always believed in the power of collaboration; partnership is in our name after all,” said Noreen Springstead, President and CEO of PHA. “It’s going to take every sector coming together to uncover long-term, sustainable solutions to the complex issue of food inequity. This first of its kind event is the first step in uniting powerful and influential leaders across the produce sector to not only commit to, but create plans of action, to ensure that more people have access to the nutritious food they need to lead healthy, thriving lives.”

This builds on the commitment that IFPA and PHA announced as part of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health – to double consumption of fruits and vegetables in 15 cities by 2030.

Organizations in attendance include American Heart Association, DC Central Kitchen, Feeding America, FMI, the Food Industry Association, Milken Institute School of Public Health, the Rockefeller Foundation, USDA, and the Walmart Foundation.

For more information, click here. And, as always, leave a tab open for ANUK.

OXNARD, CA - Bobalu recently sent to the industry an update on California strawberries statewide. The company noted that as the state worked through Memorial Day, the strawberry volume hit records.

As of May 25, the cumulative California strawberry volume was just over 81 million trays. This number compares to 57 million the same time last year and 78 million in 2022, a note from the company explained.

Part of the contribution to this record number was the fact that Bobalu experienced three weeks of volume well over 9 million trays each, with one week almost hitting 10 million trays.

“Oxnard has now shifted to the freezer, and some east side Santa Maria fields have pulled out, so we should see a correction,” the company added before shifting into an operational update. “We have shifted our fresh strawberry volume to the west side of Santa Maria. This region is very similar in climate conditions to the coastal Watsonville area due to the proximity to the ocean with milder weather conditions, giving us cool days and nights.”

Peak numbers are expected in the next week or so, with peak volume through most of June.

Keep reading ANUK for the latest updates like this.

LAKELAND, FL - Between the months of March and May of this year, Publix opened a whopping 13 new stores. With whispers of more store openings on the calendar, we are left to wonder whether a larger expansion plan is at play.

According to the Miami Herald, Publix has laid plans for two store openings to take place in June. The first will open in Apollo Beach, Florida, on June 13, while the second is set to open on June 26 in Milledgeville, Georgia. The stores will be on par with what Publix shoppers have come to know and love.

The news source even alluded to a new waterfront supermarket that is reportedly located along the Intracoastal on A1A in Hollywood, Florida.

Will Publix be continuing this expansion streak throughout 2024? Keep reading ANUK to stay in the know.

ROSEMONT, IL - US Foods is on track to keep its strategic momentum alive. The foodservice distributor recently released its 2023 Sustainability Report yesterday morning. Within the report, the foodservice distributor detailed momentum across its strategic focus areas: Products, People, and Planet.

“We are committed to being a responsible company that is both environmentally and socially conscious,” said Martha Ha, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Sustainability Lead. “I am proud of the meaningful progress the company has made throughout 2023 against our three strategic sustainability focus areas: innovating and differentiating our products; creating a safe, diverse, and inclusive workplace and supporting our communities; and improving the efficiency of our fleet and facilities.”

Underneath the Products pillar, US Foods has grown its portfolio of products, maintained year-over-year growth of its local and sustainable product offerings, and introduced a new private label.

Underneath the People pillar, US Foods noted several wins. According to a press release, the company enhanced diversity and inclusion commitments by growing participation in the company’s 10 Employee Resource Group programs and increased its workforce and leadership diversity by filling 51 percent of new or open leadership roles with diverse candidates.

Under the Planet pillar, US Foods hopes to improve the efficiency of its facilities and fleet to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations. So far, US Foods has reduced Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 6 percent since 2019 and invested in alternative fuel vehicles.

“Looking forward, we are well positioned to advance our sustainability efforts as we continue to collaborate with our customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders,” added Ha.

For more details regarding each pillar, click here. Keep reading ANUK for more industry news.

WASHINGTON STATE - A Canadian grocer has gained a foothold in the United States market. Expanding further in Washington State, T&T Supermarkets announced plans for a second location.

"We never stopped looking at locations in Washington after the announcement of our flagship store in Bellevue," said Tina Lee, Chief Executive Officer. "There's excellent growth potential here, and although we originally planned on only committing to a second location after Bellevue opens, we just couldn't resist this opportunity. It's a great location in a former grocery box—at 30,000 square feet, it's a fitting size for Lynnwood."

As Lee noted in a release, the new location will be located at the Lynnwood Crossroads Shopping Center, a location with great exposure and accessibility.

Last year T&T announced their expansion to the United States with a flagship store in Bellevue, Washington, scheduled to open this summer.

"Today, we have good news and bad news," continued Lee. "The good news is we have signed our second location. The bad news is our first store is delayed. Unfortunately, our electrical panel—a critical piece of equipment—is on backorder. We do not have an official opening date for Bellevue yet, but we are determined to open later in the year."

The Lynnwood store is expected to open in the summer of 2025.

Keep reading ANUK for more retail updates!

CITRUSDAL, SOUTH AFRICA - Just after celebrating its successful 25^th season in 2023, Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) is back to announce the kickoff of its 2024 harvesting season!

“We are officially 25 years on the sunny side and commencing into our 26^th season with a healthy crop of sweet and delicious citrus fruit headed to the port of Philadelphia in the coming days and more to come throughout the summer months,” said Suhanra Conradie, SCSA Chief Executive Officer.

As the provider reports, shipments of citrus fruit from South Africa have more than doubled since 2019. To sustain shipping options and cater to the overall growth of its program, SCSA will be splitting its volumes equally between dedicated conventional vessels and container vessels in the Port of Philadelphia. The program is also supported by a group of focused service providers spanning the total supply chain in the U.S. and South Africa.

“It is important that we recognize the hard work and commitment of the service providers who have been part of our continued success story,” said Conradie. “We are serving one of the world’s most demanding markets, and adapting to the current state of the supply chain on any given day is a key factor of our business model. We have gained much momentum with our collaborative approach and intend to keep it going in 2024!”

The citrus provider will kick off the shipping season with its beloved Clementines, followed by Navel oranges and Star Ruby grapefruit. SCSA’s first vessel, the MSC Houston, is carrying fruit from Capetown, South Africa, and is expected to arrive in the U.S. at the Port of Philadelphia the first week of June, with weekly shipments continuing through the end of October, a press release stated.

As Conradie added, SCSA intends to stay connected with the industry with timely shipping, supply chain, and production updates via its trade newsletter. Any stakeholder seeking to stay up to date on the program is invited to subscribe by filling out this form.

For more citrus category updates, you know where to click.

UNITED STATES - IFCO’s longtime mission has been to foster sustainability at the base level, all while supporting its partners along the way. With the launch of its Delivery Tracking System and integrated delivery timeslot booking service, IFCO makes it even easier for companies to streamline operations, enhance visibility, and optimize time efficiency.

Harnessing the ubiquity of GPS coverage and contemporary telemetry systems, delivery tracking systems (DTS) have emerged as linchpins within logistics chains, noted a report from the company.

“At IFCO, we have enriched our SmartCycle, which powers our Reusable Packaging Containers (RPCs) pooling model, with the integration of DTS. It spans growers, RPC distribution centers, and retailers, fostering unprecedented transparency throughout the supply chain,” the report went on to explain.

When the order has been assigned to a carrier, the automated system of tracking the delivery springs into action without manual intervention.

As IFCO explained, this seamless process not only saves time but also eliminates the risk of human error.

“Our integrated DTS empowers customers with real-time visibility into their shipments, simplifying logistics management and reducing the strain on call center teams,” the company stated.

For more information, click here.

As always, AndNowUKnow will be here to report on the latest in fresh produce news.

WATSONVILLE, CA - Driscoll’s is hitting the road this summer to bring back its Berry Mobile Tour. With 21 planned stops along the way, the tour brings to life the company’s Sweetness Worth Sharing™ campaign and offers consumers an opportunity to create memories and form special moments of connection with Only the Finest Berries™.

“Driscoll’s Sweetness Worth Sharing campaign was inspired by human connection and the unique ways we create memories in small, everyday moments,” said Jamie Bassmann, Director of Brand and Digital Marketing. “The Berry Mobile not only provides a deeper more memorable in-person brand moment, with two-way conversation, but when overlayed with a digital and social media strategy, we are able to increase our reach and impact of our investment. Experiential brand marketing can be thought of as the easiest, turn-key solution for reaching millions of berry consumers, in-person, with a tasty and memorable brand experience.”

According to a press release, Driscoll’s placed a strategic focus on priority markets for cities in the Northeast.

The Berry Mobile will be centrally positioned at highly attended community gatherings, mainly in New York and Boston, with 12 new events for 2024.

“This summer, we added more stops to the Berry Mobile’s tour schedule to share the unparalleled joy that comes with eating fresh, delicious berries. Taking a regional approach in our top markets with high brand awareness will open the door to events within a day’s drive that can provide not only a larger pool of events to choose from, but also allows a presence in multiple markets,” said Hannah Cannon, Brand Marketing Specialist. “In its larger-than-life yellow and joyful berry icons, the Berry Mobile will be hard to miss and impossible to resist.”

For more innovative activations like this, keep reading AndNowUKnow.