WASHINGTON, DC - It was just last week when we reported that the International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Director of Sustainability Tamara Muruetagoiena spoke at the Executive Leadership Summit. This week, Muruetagoiena’s name is making headlines once again, as it was announced that she has been asked to serve as Chair of The Consumer Goods Forum Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative’s (SSCI) Environmental Working Group.
“As Chair of this working group and through my connections to the fresh produce growing and production community, I will ensure the perspectives of fruit and vegetable growers are part of the SSCI’s efforts to build trust and drive harmonization among environmental sustainability standards worldwide,” Muruetagoiena commented. “Throughout my professional career, sustainability has remained a cornerstone, and this opportunity to lead and contribute to a broader group of stakeholders is very much in alignment with my personal beliefs and IFPA’s strategic priorities.”
The SSCI seeks to build trust in sustainability standards worldwide, and in 2022, it launched the Environmental Working Group to develop benchmark criteria to expand the scope of the SSCI Benchmark from social to environmental sustainability.
IFPA is devoting considerable resources to sustainability, including establishing the Fresh Produce Research Center with sustainability as its first initiative. According to a press release, the center will connect academia with industry and lean into IFPA’s advocacy strengths to ensure agencies prioritize investment in fresh produce research on behalf of the industry.
This is in addition to ongoing IFPA consumer research on sustainability, active engagement in the Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance, working to advance climate-smart production and marketplace through USDA grant funding, and numerous resources in packaging, regenerative agriculture, an ethical charter focused on responsible labor practices, and more.
“As this moment in our history, it’s never been more crucial to discover social, economic, and environmental opportunities for the global fresh produce community through sustainable actions, and I am proud to represent the global fresh produce community’s and IFPA’s voice on this working group,” Muruetagoiena said.
We applaud this inspiring leader as she takes on her new role!
