ANAHEIM, CA - International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)’s Global Produce & Floral Show has come to an end after 3 transformative days for fresh produce and floral.

"The Global Show brought out the best in worldwide fresh fruit, vegetable, and flower innovations this year," said IFPA CEO Cathy Burns. "United by our bold beliefs and relentless advocacy, we are driving innovation, efficiency and positive change for our members and industry. Together, we are building a brighter, healthier future -proving that our products matter to the world. This year's show was an incredible 3 days of connections, insights, and community.”

Burns delivered her annual State of the Industry presentation focusing largely on how the organization has delivered on the promise to “Fight for Fresh” which was made from last year’s stage. Burns shared some major announcements from the stage, including the debut of the IFPA Global Intelligence Engine. The proprietary data-powered engine is a tool exclusively for IFPA members that offers real-time point-of-sale insights, as well as important, export, and production data and consumer trends for fruits, vegetables, and floral products. The engine provides answers, visualizations, and recommendations at decision-making speed. The IFPA team provided demonstrations on the Expo floor to showcase the exciting new tool.

Another key announcement was the launch of the development of a Global Sustainability Framework for Produce and Floral, which started at the show in a joint planning session between IFPA leaders and representatives from the Consumer Goods Forum.

In addition to General Sessions featuring insights and inspiration from leaders and adventurers alike and more non-traditional education sessions during the Education Festival and at the highly attended hot topics covered during the Food Safety and Tech Xchange in the Innovation Hub during Expo hours.

The show attracted attendees from more than 50 countries and a record number of more than 3,500 buyers engaged with the almost 1100 exhibiting companies on the show floor. This year’s show had the largest representative of global retailers ever which included international representatives from some of the largest retailers, and many buyers from Asia and Latin America.

The event continued to break records at The Foundation for Fresh Produce’s 5K which surpassed last year’s mark of 830 runners who got their steps in on Friday morning.

On the final day of the show, IFPA announced the winners of the coveted Expo Awards.

Here is a summary of those winners:

• Best First-Time Exhibitor: Plant Grow Harvest
• Best Island Booth in Business Solutions: IFCO Systems
• Best Inline Booth in Business Solutions: 48Forty
• Best Island Booth in Produce: Fowler Packing | Peelz Citrus
• Best Inline Booth in Produce: BrightFresh Micro Greens
• Best Island Booth in Complementary Items: Offshoot Brands
• Best Inline Booth in Complementary Items: Joolies Superfruit
• Best Island Booth in Floral: Del Alma
• Best Inline Booth in Floral: Kendall Farms

From the Fresh Ideas Showcase Participants:

• Best Sustainable Packaging: Dutchess Bouquets - IntegraVASE
• Best Product Promo: Dole - Colada Royale

“A heartfelt thank you to our exhibitors, sponsors, volunteers, and guests for joining us in Anaheim,” said Burns. “I can't wait for Orlando in 2026!"

WENATCHEE, WA - Sometimes the most significant barrier to entry has the simplest fix: communication. As terms like sustainability, regenerative agriculture, carbon credits, and biochar become more prevalent in conversations about building a more environmentally friendly industry, companies like CMI Orchards are working to clarify their meanings, relevance, and purpose in today’s era of heightened environmental awareness.

In this two-part Q&A series, CMI’s resident sustainability expert, Rose Vejvoda, joins me to explore key concepts and vernacular that decision-makers should understand to make stronger business choices—and to show how the footprint we leave tomorrow doesn’t have to mirror the potential impact of our past.

Rose, thank you for taking the time to bring this conversation to the industry’s readership. Can you share with me why you believe it is essential to share this message?
 

Rose Vejvoda: At CMI Orchards, we know that terms related to sustainability and regenerative agriculture can feel a little overwhelming. However, this space is full of exciting innovations, and we want our partners and the industry to understand just how impressive these programs truly are.

From the orchards to The Soil Center, where the magic happens, we hope to make the conversation around these concepts more accessible and in that vein, make them more powerful tools for our partners.

To start, what is a carbon credit, and how are they generated?

RV: A carbon credit is a certificate that represents one ton of greenhouse gases reduced or removed from the atmosphere. They’re generated when a project proves it has cut emissions or pulled carbon out of the air, for example, through the use of renewable energy, forest restoration, or better farming practices.

At CMI Orchards and The Soil Center, we generate carbon credits by improving how we grow and manage our land: planting cover crops, building healthier soils that naturally store more carbon by using our carbon-rich soil amendments, such as worm castings, biochar, and compost, in our growing processes, and reducing fertilizer use. These practices lock carbon into the soil, rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere, and each measurable ton of carbon stored in this way can be converted into a carbon credit.

At The Soil Center, all our carbon credits are verified by Verra’s Verified Carbon Standard, the world's most widely used greenhouse gas crediting program.

What’s the difference between a carbon credit and a carbon inset? What about a carbon offset?

RV: Great question! When it comes down to it, a carbon credit is simply a unit that represents one ton of carbon dioxide, or another similar greenhouse gas, removed or reduced. It can be bought or sold on the carbon market.

On the other hand, both carbon insets and carbon offsets get a bit more specific about how they are sold and to whom. When a company or person buys carbon credits from outside projects, such as forest conservation in another country, to balance out their own emissions, that is a carbon offset. Offsets happen outside of a company’s direct operations. On the other hand, with carbon insets, the greenhouse gas reduction happens inside a company’s own supply chain.

At CMI Orchards, we are committed to selling the carbon credits we generate as carbon insets to help our supply chain partners reach their climate goals and keep the positive impact within the food industry.

Can you explain to us what biochar is, and how it sequesters carbon?

RV: Biochar is a charcoal-like material made by heating plant waste, like wood chips, or orchard prunings, in a low-oxygen environment. Instead of rotting or burning and releasing stored carbon back into the air, the carbon in that plant matter gets locked into a stable and solid form.

When biochar is added to soil, it can stay there for hundreds to thousands of years, effectively trapping carbon in the ground. Additionally, it can improve soil health by enhancing water retention and nutrient cycling. At CMI Orchards, we generate biochar at The Soil Center using our three biochar reactors, which utilize our orchard tree waste as feedstock. We then use this biochar in our orchards to complete the loop.

In part two, we will discover the story behind soil amendments, why worm farms are useful in growing, how you verify or measure these carbon credits, and much, much more.