ORLANDO, FL - Five years into its IFPA Global presence, the Colombia Avocado Board (CAB) has plenty more to bring to the table. As Avocados from Colombia continue building their place in the U.S. market, the Board is heading into this year’s show ready to talk retail partnerships, year-round availability, growing export capabilities, and the next chapter of its story.

And at Booth #3585, CAB is bringing a little piece of Colombia along with it. Attendees will step into a modern Colombian café surrounded by panoramic orchard imagery, where they can grab a cup of Colombian-grown coffee and connect with the CAB team about the role Colombian avocados can play within the U.S. supply mix.

“Most importantly, we're looking forward to continuing conversations with retailers about how CAB can support their avocado programs,” Manuel Michel, Managing Director of the Colombia Avocado Board, shared. “Every retailer has different needs, and our goal is to be a collaborative partner, helping retailers incorporate Colombian avocados into their programs, tell the story at shelf and create opportunities to connect with shoppers.”

Five Years and Counting

The 2026 show marks CAB’s fifth consecutive year representing Avocados from Colombia at IFPA Global, and the organization is using the occasion to showcase just how much has changed during that time. Retailers are incorporating Colombian avocados into their mixes more frequently, according to CAB, while relationships, infrastructure, and market development continue progressing behind the scenes.

Colombia’s ability to produce avocados throughout the year is an important part of that conversation, giving buyers a complementary origin that can work alongside other avocado sources.

“CAB’s role is to help build that bridge between the Colombian avocado industry and the U.S. marketplace through education, marketing support and collaboration,” Michel explained. “That's the momentum we're most excited to continue building at IFPA.”

That bridge is getting some additional infrastructure behind it as well.

Three avocado packing facilities have come online in Colombia this year, increasing packing and export capacity while advancing quality assurance and cold-chain capabilities. The completion of the Port of Antioquia has also created a closer export route from important growing regions, with the potential to reduce transit times into U.S. markets.

For CAB, those developments add another layer to the conversations it plans to have with buyers at IFPA: not simply where Colombian avocados are today, but where the origin can fit strategically into supply plans throughout the year.

Raising the Story

The show floor won’t be the only place attendees get a taste of what CAB has been working on. The board is sponsoring the IFPA General Session Lunch on October 14, where attendees will be among the first to see its Raised by Colombia video and hear more about the campaign’s next chapter.

The storytelling component goes hand in hand with CAB’s larger retail strategy. Beyond discussing supply, the organization wants to work with retailers on how the Colombian origin story can translate at shelf and give shoppers another reason to connect with the category.

“We're most looking forward to discussing partnership opportunities,” Michel said. “CAB's approach is collaborative: understanding what retailers and their shoppers need, then identifying where Avocados from Colombia can add value to their programs.”

That means conversations around supply mix and year-round availability, but it also means listening.

“We want to hear directly from retailers about what's working, where they see opportunities and what additional support they need,” Michel continued. “That feedback helps shape CAB’s priorities and ensures we continue developing programs and resources that provide meaningful value to the industry.”

Café Conversations

Before the show floor gets moving, CAB will also bring association members and industry partners together for its Annual Meeting on the morning of October 14. The gathering will review the organization’s progress, look toward priorities for the year ahead, and elect members to its Board of Directors.

Then, it’s back to the café.

With Colombian coffee pouring, orchard views filling Booth #3585, and another year of avocado conversations on deck, CAB is making its fifth IFPA appearance about more than looking back at how far the origin has come.

The team is ready to talk about where Avocados from Colombia can go next, and ANUK will be watching as those conversations continue to take root across the U.S. marketplace.

ONTARIO, CANADA - Like many consumers, I have been on a major cucumber kick this year, so when I heard Pure Flavor® would be shining a spotlight on its Georgia Grown Organic Long English Cucumbers at Southern Innovations 2026, my interest was piqued. Matt Mastronardi, Executive Vice President, sat down with me to discuss cucumbers and more.

“Our Georgia Grown Organic Long English Cucumbers tell a bigger story than just great produce. These seedless cucumbers are grown at our Southern Flavor Farms greenhouse in Fort Valley, Georgia. They're crisp, refreshing, consistent, and available year-round,” Matt began. “We'll also be featuring our Southern Grown Tomatoes on the Vine, another great example of premium greenhouse produce grown close to the markets we serve. Through the Georgia Grown program, there's a real connection to the region and its agricultural heritage that we're proud to be part of. Both products reflect what we're building in Georgia: quality produce, grown locally, with the consistency retailers and consumers can count on.”

According to Matt, the Pure Flavor team is most looking forward to the one-of-a-kind conversations that take place at Southern Innovations. Having the opportunity to connect with retailers and industry partners and hearing what's on their minds across the produce category sets the stage for a successful year of collaboration.

“Southern Innovations brings together a community that's genuinely passionate about moving the industry forward, and there's an energy in those conversations that you don't get anywhere else,” Matt added. “For us, it's a great opportunity to talk about what's happening on the ground in Georgia and how locally grown greenhouse produce can help retailers reduce supply uncertainty, strengthen their local sourcing story, and plan with more confidence heading into the year ahead.”

When attendees walk away from the Pure Flavor booth, they will leave with a clear picture of what Georgia Grown means for the company and its retail partners. It is a value proposition about growing closer to the people Pure Flavor serves, supporting regional agriculture, and delivering freshness and flavor consumers can count on every season.

For retailers specifically, this translates to inventory stability, a dependable local source, and a product that elevates shelf appeal year-round. Georgia Grown isn't just a label; it's a commitment to the region and to growing produce in a way that benefits everyone from the grower to the shopper.

“Georgia is becoming a bigger part of the Pure Flavor story every year. We're continuing to invest in growing for the Southeast and strengthening our connection to the region. It's not just about adding acres; it's about deepening relationships with the retailers and communities we serve and making sure we're growing the right products in the right places,” Matt concluded. “We're excited to share more about Georgia Grown and what it looks like when you grow better, closer to the markets that matter most.”

If you will be attending Southern Innovations this year, be sure to visit Pure Flavor at booth #424. Greatness awaits.

OGDEN, UT - What better place to talk onions than face to face? As Onions 52 heads to the Southeast Produce Council (SEPC) show, Falon Brawley and the team are putting connection at the top of the agenda, using the show floor to hear directly from retail and foodservice partners and find ways to keep the category moving.

“Going into SEPC, our focus is really on connection. We’re looking forward to spending time with our retail and foodservice partners, hearing from them, and discussing how we can continue to support their onion programs,” Brawley shared.

That can mean ensuring consistent year-round supply, finding solutions for specific customer needs, or simply finding a more exciting way to put onions in front of shoppers.

“We’re always looking for ways to make our customers' jobs easier, whether that means providing a consistent year-round supply, finding solutions for a specific program, or collaborating on ways to create more excitement around onions at retail,” Brawley continued. “Ultimately, we want our partners to know they can come to us with an idea, challenge, or opportunity and have a team that is ready to work alongside them.”

Something to Smile About

Of course, one particularly smile-worthy topic is bound to come up.

As Onions 52 looks toward the late October/early November–April domestic season for Smileys® Tearless Sweet Onions, the company is continuing to build around a pretty straightforward proposition: all the sweetness and versatility shoppers want from an onion, minus one notorious part of prep.

“Smileys® Tearless Sweet Onions give consumers a unique reason to get excited about the onion category by addressing a very real consumer pain point: how to chop onions without crying,” Brawley explained. “Smileys take the sting out of prep while still delivering the sweetness, flavor, and versatility consumers expect from sweet onions.”

Onions 52 backs that proposition at retail with high-graphic display bins and cartons, social media toolkits, customized point-of-sale materials, and even out-of-home billboard advertising in select markets.

Those efforts are designed to do more than earn a first purchase. Brawley noted that the company has developed a loyal Smileys following, with shoppers reaching out to share how frequently they cook with the onions while they are in season.

“That kind of enthusiasm and repeat purchase is exactly what we want to continue building as we introduce more shoppers to the Smileys difference,” she said.

No Rushing a Good Thing

Generating trial is one thing. Making sure shoppers know what they’ll find every time they return is another. For Onions 52, that consistency is central to what the Smileys name is meant to represent.

“Most importantly, our Smileys brand promise is something we are proud of, and we’re unwavering about it,” Brawley detailed. “We want shoppers to trust that when they purchase Smileys®, they’re getting the same consistently sweet, tearless onion experience every time - no matter which onion they grab from the bag or what month of the season they purchase them.”

Delivering that experience starts well before the onions reach the produce department. Following harvest, Smileys move through a carefully managed natural curing and storage process, giving the onions the necessary time to reach the desired levels of sweetness and tearlessness.

“We don’t rush that process,” Brawley emphasized. “For us, it’s more important to get it right and make sure every onion carrying the Smileys name delivers the experience consumers have come to trust and love.”

Let's Talk Onions

For anyone who wants to keep that conversation going in person, Onions 52 will be at Booth 431.

“We’re always excited for the opportunity to connect and talk onions,” Brawley shared. “Whether it’s discussing an existing program, exploring something new, or finding creative ways to support the category, our team is eager to help.”

And that face time is exactly what makes regional events like SEPC valuable to the company.

“The produce industry is very relationship-driven, and there’s simply no replacement for being able to sit down together, hear what our partners are experiencing and talk through opportunities,” Brawley said. “It’s a great opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships, make new connections, and stay close to what’s happening across produce.”

Those conversations may start at Booth 431, but Onions 52 is thinking well beyond the show floor. ANUK will be watching as the team turns those connections into plenty more reasons for the onion category to smile.

SCHILLER PARK, IL - Some things are worth preserving. Others deserve to evolve. For Sun Belle, the future meant doing both.

Sun Belle announced a comprehensive brand refresh that honors the trusted identity customers have known for years while introducing a fresh, modern look designed for where the brand is headed next.

At the heart of the refresh are the recognizable color palette and iconic burst symbol, thoughtfully updated to reflect Sun Belle's growth, evolving consumer expectations, and continued investment in the future of fresh berries.

"Sun Belle's brand foundation was already strong," says Sun Belle Director of Marketing Hailey Clark. "Our goal was to uncover the story behind that trust and bring it forward in a way that feels renewed, relevant, and true to our roots. We wanted our loyal customers to see the new look and immediately think, 'That's Sun Belle!' while also feeling excited that a brand they know and trust is evolving right alongside them."

Farm-Fresh Luxury, Always Within Reach

Inspired by Sun Belle's metropolitan roots and Chicago-based headquarters, the refreshed identity is built around a simple idea: bringing the luxury of farm-fresh flavor to the city, making extraordinary quality accessible wherever consumers are.

"Our visual identity is about helping people see themselves in our story – from the farm to kitchen tables, lunchboxes and busy city streets," Clark says. "Today's consumer is immersed in the hustle and bustle of life, but still wants a reliable, flavorful berry experience that feels fresh-from-the-farm. That's the experience we're committed to delivering."

Quality doesn't have to be a luxury. But it should taste like one.

Berries remain the largest fruit category in the produce department, with U.S. retail sales approaching $13 billion. As consumers place greater value on quality and transparency, brand trust matters. With berry shoppers purchasing an average of every two to three weeks, creating recognition and loyalty is increasingly important.

The refreshed packaging begins to roll out this fall with a cleaner, more contemporary design with transparent labels that allow more of the fruit to take center stage. Research shows shoppers highly value packaging that lets them see the product before purchase, building confidence before it's opened. The redesign also brings Sun Belle's conventional and organic offerings together under one recognizable brand family, with organic products distinguished by fresh green elements. Previously, the company's organic offerings carried the Green Belle logo.

"We started teasing more of the brand's personality with the launch of our Craveabelles premium line earlier this year, and we're carrying that spirit forward," Clark says. "We found a natural opportunity to make 'Belle' part of our language – from 'Enjoyabelle. Shareabelle.' to 'sustainabelle standards.' It's playful, distinctly Sun Belle and gives our brand a voice people can recognize and remember. We want Sun Belle to be unmistakably recogniza…belle."

Ensuring Quality Meets You Where You Are

While the new look is the most visible change, it represents a deeper investment in the brand and the people behind it.

"We've never believed growth should come at the expense of authenticity," says Taylor Hazelwood, Sun Belle VP of Sales & Marketing. "Our investment in the brand strengthens our commitment to the relationships and partnerships that built Sun Belle. A stronger, more relevant brand gives our retail customers another reason to believe in the products they put on their shelves, while giving our growers and employees a brand they can be proud to stand behind. Our goal is to create value throughout the supply chain and deliver quality berries in a way that creates a better experience for everyone."

Sun Belle's recent growth has driven investment and greater alignment across its vertically integrated U.S. and Mexico operations, amplified by Frutura's capabilities in areas like sustainability, innovation, and category management. Sun Belle's Chief Operating Officer of Mexico, Daniel Cervantes, comments, "Across our berry division, one thing is clear: this refreshed brand brings our business together under one powerful, unified identity. One we are proud to share from seed to consumer."

The industry will get its first look at the refreshed brand at Southeast Produce Council's Southern Innovations, Booth 504 in Nashville, followed by The Global Produce & Floral Show, Booth 1561 in Orlando.

^{Source: Circana, Total U.S. MULO+, 52 Weeks Ending 08-09-26, referenced by Frutura Director of Category Management Hailey Peyron.}