ATLANTA, GA - An exciting announcement was made by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) at its recent Global Produce & Floral Show. During the State of the Industry keynote session, Chief Executive Officer Cathy Burns revealed the association has been granted observer status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). IFPA Vice President of Sustainability Tamara Muruetagoiena will serve as the organization’s representative on the UNFCC.

“Climate change is a top concern for our members, and it’s an incredible honor that IFPA’s work in sustainability and climate-smart agriculture has resulted in the association being granted this status by the United Nations,” said Burns. “The fresh produce and floral community is part of the solution through our commitment to climate-smart agriculture practices, and we will ensure our voice is heard to influence outcomes in global forums such as the UNFCC and COP29.”

A press release explained that included within the UNFCC are the 2015 Paris Agreement and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. In sum, these agreements are tasked with stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system in a time frame that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.

Muruetagoiena has led many of IFPA’s sustainability programs and efforts, including representing IFPA as Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative’s (SSCI) Environmental Working Group, which developed benchmarking environmental standards that were released in mid-summer.

“Sustainability has always been a cornerstone of my professional career and I am humbled to have this opportunity to represent IFPA,” Muruetagoiena commented. “We are participating in COP29 next month in Azerbaijan to ensure our industry is represented at the highest global meeting discussing climate change.”

IFPA research has found that failure to act on climate and extreme weather are the top two global threats with the highest potential to damage societies, economies, and the planet. In early December, the association will hold climate-smart field trials in California as part of its USDA grant-funded program titled “A Vibrant Future.”

We applaud IFPA as it continues to advocate for our industry on a global scale.