WASHINGTON, DC - A first-ever Vice President of Sustainability has been named by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), with Tamara Muruetagoiena stepping into this critical new role.

Muruetagoiena will now oversee the association’s efforts supported by the USDA Climate-Smart Pilots project, in addition to other new and established initiatives. As a press release explained, she also serves as the Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum’s Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative (SSCI), which is working to benchmark global sustainability standards.

Muruetagoiena joined the organization in April 2022, bringing over two decades of experience in the agriculture and environmental arenas.

In this newly created role, her work will be supported by Sophie Marques, coordinator of grant-funded projects, and Wendy Logan, manager in traceability and sustainability.

“Sustainability is an issue of vital importance to IFPA members and the global produce and floral community, which is why we’ve invested in growing our resources and expertise in this space. Tamara’s excellent leadership on a variety of sustainability topics has provided more value to our members and opened doors for IFPA and our industry, such as her serving as Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative environmental benchmarking group to ensure produce and floral is represented and heard at these tables,” said IFPA Chief Executive Officer Cathy Burns. “Through the combination of her background, expertise, and her passion of sustainability, Tamara has elevated our industry and IFPA to become a transformative influence on global sustainability conversations and initiatives.”

Chief Science Officer Max Teplitski also commented, adding, “When Tamara joined our team, it was a reflection of the importance of providing member resources and guidance for and on behalf of industry on sustainability. We’re thrilled that she’ll be taking on this elevated role. This reflects not only the global need for produce and floral’s role in creating more a more sustainable industry but also her stellar leadership in the area throughout her career in the industry.”

IFPA Vice President of Supply Chain Ed Treacy also weighed in on Muruetagoiena’s contributions.

“Since joining IFPA, Tamara has been vital to creating, capturing, and sharing the sustainability and climate-smart practices we are developing as an industry,” he said. “Tamara’s expertise in leading sustainability efforts, along with her in-depth knowledge of carbon credits, green financing, and more, has allowed the association to elevate and amplify our sustainability efforts and influence to create a sustainable produce and floral supply chain.”

Congratulations to Tamara Muruetagoiena! To read more about this leader, click here.

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