WASHINGTON DC - Traveling around the world to broaden your horizons is always a fun endeavor. Doing it for the sake of the industry’s growth and productivity, now that’s priceless information. International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) announced it has been bringing key industry insights to international audiences through much of the first quarter of the year, and the educational fun isn’t stopping.

First stop: Berlin’s Fruit Logistica.

“Meeting with members at Fruit Logistica and the Executive Leadership Summit is both exciting and validating,” said Chief Membership Officer, Miriam Wolk. “Our members are the fuel that powers our association. From our volunteers to those who shared insights with peers at our event or at our booth, we are grateful that the industry is so eager to engage, and we’re thrilled can bring the industry together to help drive global consumption of fruits, vegetables, and floral.”

The IFPA team traveled to Berlin in February for Fruit Logistica at the yearly European-based event. In conjunction with the conference, IFPA hosted the Executive Leadership Conference, welcoming leaders from more than 30 countries to hear from experts and peers on a variety of topics critical to global business. IFPA Sustainability Director, Tamara Muruetagoiena, provided a look at the latest trends in sustainability, and speakers from Euromonitor and Rabobank provided a look at consumer trends within the context of the global economic outlook.

Next, IFPA Vice President of Innovation Vonnie Estes continued her world tour to Abu Dhabi in the UAE for the Aerofarms Innovation Summit. The event is organized to discuss the future of food supply, speed breeding, and ag-tech innovation. Estes served on a panel about “creating resilient urban food systems” and attended the grand opening ceremony of AgX in Abu Dhabi, a 65,000-square-foot indoor R&D farm.

“Aerofarms’ Innovation Summit is an example of the necessity of private-public collaborations and company-to-company global partnerships to create productive and innovative ecosystems,” said Estes. “Innovating our food system is no singular company or industry’s responsibility. This is one of the main reasons IFPA has created the Fresh Field Catalyst Accelerator program, so we can welcome more players who are committed to building efficiency and resiliency in the produce industry.”

Estes traveled next to Las Vegas, Nevada, to participate in the Indoor Ag-Con providing insights on Controlled Environment Agriculture. She can be found next at the World Agritech Innovation Summit where she will lead a panel on The Pathway to Climate Smart Agriculture: Technology, Investment, and Farm Adoption.

Tamara Muruetagoiena, Director of Sustainability, also just returned from Australia and New Zealand where she participated in IFPA’s first Sustainability Summits.

“I appreciate our Australia and New Zealand members hosting and engaging in IFPA’s first Sustainability Summit,” said Muruetagoiena. “In some regions, pressure to adopt and communicate sustainability practices are coming from policymakers and in others, the pressure is coming from retailers. Globally, however, it’s clear that consumer concerns are the root of these pressures, and these concerns cannot be ignored.”

One way to connect with IFPA team experts and members is at upcoming events. All events, both in person and virtual can be found on the IFPA website. For more information, check out the release here.

Keep an eye out for ANUK to bring you the latest updates in our industry.

International Fresh Produce Association