OXNARD, CA - Mission Produce, Inc., a world leader in sourcing, producing, and distributing fresh Hass avocados, announced its support of the inclusion of the avocado in the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025–2030), emphasizing its role as a healthy, nutrient-dense whole food.^1,2

“Avocados have become a staple in American diets, with per capita consumption growing from 3.3 to 9 pounds over the last two decades.³” said Steve Barnard, Chief Executive Officer, Mission Produce, in the recent release. “Their recognized health benefits have played a big role in that growth, and we are proud to support the Dietary Guidelines highlighting their role in a healthy diet. At Mission Produce, we leverage diversified sourcing, vertical integration, and world-class ripening and distribution to be the go-to supplier of high-quality avocados year-round.”

“As a global leader in the worldwide avocado business, we are encouraged to see the Dietary Guidelines reinforce food as the foundation of health and recognize the importance of whole foods, like avocados, in a balanced diet,” said John Pawlowski, President and Chief Operating Officer of Mission Produce. “This is a meaningful moment for our growers and partners, and I’m proud of the Mission Produce team for delivering healthy, nutrient-dense avocados to our retail, wholesale, and foodservice partners every day.”

Mission Produce delivers billions of avocados a year to retail, wholesale, and foodservice customers across more than 25 countries. 

Mission Produce’s vertically integrated operations span five state-of-the-art packing facilities across the U.S., Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, with avocado sourcing capabilities across 15 premium growing regions to provide a consistent, year-round supply of premium Hass avocados.

^{1. USDA. Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025–2030).}

^{2. Hass Avocado Nutrition Copy Points – USDA APPROVED July 2025. 3. USDA. Per Capita Consumption. Avocados. 2006-2025.;}

^{3. USDA. Per Capita Consumption. Avocados. 2006-2025.}

MONHEIM AM RHEIN - Bayer announced the launch of Baya Solara, the first commercial strawberry variety from Bayer’s De Ruiter brand. The launch is a vital part of the company’s strategic expansion into the strawberry market and follows Bayer's acquisition of the strawberry assets from UK-based NIAB in 2023. The introduction of the new variety reinforces Bayer’s commitment to providing innovative solutions to protected culture growers and sets a new standard in soft fruit cultivation. Strawberries are among the fastest-growing fruit crops, with year-round demand exceeding supply.

“Our new variety Baya Solara is an exciting June-bearing cultivar and delivers impressive productivity and strong resistance to diseases like Phytophthora cactorum without compromising fruit quality. With this launch, we are targeting Northern Europe's rapidly growing protected cropping sector and offer growers new opportunities,” said Swanny Chouteau, Portfolio Lead for the Europe Middle East and Africa region at Bayer’s Crop Science division, in the recent release.

Baya Solara is characterized by its large, uniform fruits and is designed to reduce post-harvest darkening, meeting the growing consumer and retail demand for high-quality strawberries. The fruit also offers a pleasant sweetness with a balanced sugar-acid ratio, making it an attractive option for consumers. In addition, this early-mid season June-bearer variety is designed to show significant improvement against common diseases, including Phytophthora cactorum, a fungal disease that causes the strawberries’ crown to rot. This genetic resistance is vital for ensuring the long-term viability of strawberry production.

“Baya Solara is a strawberry that offers many benefits. For growers, it means a more productive and reliable harvest. For retailers, it delivers consistent, large, firm fruits with excellent shelf life, reducing waste and ensuring dependable quality. For families, it offers delicious strawberries that stay fresh longer, helping them reduce waste and enjoy every berry,” said VK Kishore, Head of Global Product Innovation for Vegetables at Bayer’s Crop Science division.

Baya Solara will be available to growers in the UK, Germany and Benelux. The June-bearer is the first one to be commercially launched since the NIAB acquisition, and complements six other strawberry varieties, including Malling™ Ace, a highly versatile and productive everbearer that has been increasingly favoured by growers and consumers, and Malling™ Centenary, a June-bearer market-leading variety, highly regarded for its standout fruit quality.

With more than 20 different crops and thousands of seed selections, Bayer’s Vegetable Seeds business supports a diverse range of growers with seed varieties tailored to the tastes and preferences of consumers around the globe. Key crops include Tomato, Cucumber, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Eggplant, Lettuce, Melon, Onion, Pepper, Spinach, Sweet Corn and Watermelon.

RIDGE SPRINGS, SC - Titan Farms, the largest peach grower on the East Coast, is proud to announce the release of its inaugural 2024 Sustainability Report. The report focuses on key achievements and continued commitments across climate impact reduction, land stewardship, workforce support, and continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Built around Titan Farms’ four core sustainability pillars: Climate (GHG Reduction), Land Stewardship, People & Community, and Continuous Improvement, the report details Titan Farms’ comprehensive approach to responsible farming, precision agriculture, energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, and employee and community investment. Additionally, it establishes a clear baseline for future measurement, offering year-over-year emissions data and expanded Scope 3 insights that will guide long-term climate strategy.

Titan Farms further advanced its measurement systems by partnering with CarbonCents, enabling more robust emissions tracking and greater transparency in its sustainability reporting.

“Sustainability isn’t an initiative at Titan Farms, it’s who we are,” said Ross Williams, President of Titan Farms, in the recent release. “This report demonstrates our continued commitment to doing things the right way: protecting our land, improving our operations, and caring for the people who make our work possible.”

2024 Highlights Include

• 587,300 pounds of corrugated cardboard recycled
• A 6.77% reduction in waste-related emissions
• A 16.76% reduction in packhouse fuel consumption through operational optimization
• 5,096 metric tons of CO₂e absorbed by Titan Farms’ forests and orchards
• 37,800 pounds of peaches donated to local food banks through community partnerships
• Continued progress toward long-term goals, including 100% diversion of all operational recyclable materials by 2032

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re even more excited about what comes next in the years to come,” said Chalmers Carr, CEO and Founder of Titan Farms. “Our responsibility as stewards of this land, and leaders in our industry, drives us to improve year after year. In 2024, we continued to strengthen our recycling programs, refine our use of precision agriculture, and manage the forests and orchards that naturally sequester thousands of tons of carbon annually. These efforts reflect our deep commitment to caring for our land, supporting our people, and producing exceptional fruit and vegetables with integrity. As we look to the future, we remain dedicated to building on this foundation and advancing practices that benefit our farm, our community, and the families we feed.”

The full 2024 Titan Farms Sustainability Report can be found at titanfarms.com/innovation/sustainability.

UNITED STATES - Shhhh, my show is on. When this is the feeling I get from seeing a LinkedIn post, the person behind it is doing something right. 

In this case, one of my “shows” is Perfecting the Art of Fresh, brought to us by Shawn Peery, National Vice President of Produce for the Albertsons Companies. The posts take us along with Shawn in his store visits, showcasing stellar displays I have no doubt inspire those on the marketing, branding, and strategic ends of our industry. He even showcases walking the walk with his own fresh hauls.

Shawn also features the people behind the “art of fresh,” the store teams and supply partners making everything possible. From shoutouts to Chicago locals inside Jewel-Osco to Washington State tours spotlighting growers like Superfresh® and Chelan, you can’t help but get the impression that this produce veteran knows the value of being boots on the ground in the industry you love. Take a look at some of these posts from Shawn.

The battle cry? Merchandising and relationships are key in Perfecting the Art of Fresh.

The self-made series of posts highlights a few crucial aspects of the produce industry:

• If you aren’t excited about a grocery display, are you even in produce?
• People and partnerships are everything
• Enthusiasm is the antidote to career fatigue

Exploring a grocery store on or off the clock and feeling excited about it is the job description we all want. Moreover, a consistent observation I’ve heard from retiring titans of our industry was that their family teased them for wanting to check out the local produce section anywhere they went—even on vacation.

If you love what you do, it is not work. And every time I see a post from Shawn and others like him in their self-proclaimed social media shows, I borrow some of the energy they display, as well as the wisdom of each post highlighting fresh produce shown in all the glory it deserves.

Sorry, Great British Bakeoff, I’m looking toward a different department!