Broad acre crops are planted on the majority of America’s farmland and have long been at the forefront of ag policy debates. However, significant numbers of high-value vegetable, fruit and flower growers across the U.S. are ready to increase their impact on policy issues – both in the U.S. and around the globe.
Last week at the Global Produce & Floral Show in Atlanta, the International Fresh Produce Association revealed a new campaign, “Fight for Fresh,” which CEO Cathy Burns describes as an “intentional effort to break through the noise and grab the attention of lawmakers and regulators when the moment is right.” More than 3,000 buyers and attendees from 70-plus countries were at the event.
Burns emphasized the need to be ready when “our importance and relevance to the world is questioned, challenged, or worse, disregarded.” She cited successful efforts to save the fresh produce benefit in the Women, Infants and Children program earlier this year as an example.
The renewed focus on advocacy and influence has been steadily building since the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh Produce Association merged in 2022 to become the International Fresh Produce Association, During an interview with Agri-Pulse, Burns said the combined organization is what the industry had wanted for a very long time.
“What's interesting now is we don't even think about the merger anymore. It's almost like the merger was so long ago, although it really wasn't," she explained. In about two years, the combined organization with two co-CEOs shifted from focusing on seven strategies and doing all of the events and programs that each had done independently. IFPA now is more focused on high impact events and a focus on three pillars: Advocacy, personalized member value and "future proofing" the industry – all of which layer up to support health.
“We exist to create a vibrant future for all, and you can't have a vibrant future if you are not healthy and don't have health as a cornerstone,” Burns added.
As part of the 2022 reorganization, former United Fresh President Tom Stenzel moved into a consulting role and Burns became IFPA’s CEO.
“What's most important to us is that we have a clear vision, mission and strategic areas of focus, so that everyone in the industry can see themselves in it. We are a trade association that represents the full supply chain around the globe and so, when there's a challenge the industry is facing, we can bring together the whole supply chain to ultimately find some solution.”
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IFPA adding Chief Medical Officer
Burns says the biggest asset IFPA has to drive fruit and vegetable consumption is its 501(c)(3) Foundation for Fresh Produce, which focuses on strategy, research and bringing collaborative partnerships to scale. Now, she plans to appoint a chief medical officer to help explain long-term impacts and how interventions can alter the trajectory of human health through things like produce prescriptions.
However, much of those efforts will rely on having the data to prove that more consumption of fruits and vegetables can proactively change a person’s health over time. Burns said IFPA has its own internal research and an insights group tracking progress that she hopes can be used to convince not only health insurance companies but also policymakers and regulators.
Fruits, vegetables and weight loss drugs
One aspect of their research looks at the interaction between higher fruit and vegetable consumption and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. She cited an Eat Well Global study which found that people on GLP-1 drugs have increased their consumption of fruits, vegetables and lean animal protein by 17%.
“If you think about the impacts of these drugs and what is happening to people's diets, it puts us in a really strong position to be able to say, yes, healthy eating is a key part,” she explained.
IFPA is also ramping up advocacy on the global stage. Burns announced that the organization has been granted observer status at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, giving the fresh produce and floral community “a seat at the table” in climate negotiations. They’ve also applied for observer status in Codex Alimentarius, where Burns said six task forces or subcommittees are important for specialty crops' involvement.
The organization already received a $15 million USDA grant related to climate-smart agriculture. Last week, IFPA received another $25 million as part of USDA’s new Assisting Specialty Crop Exports (ASCE) initiative. IFPA and partner Clemson University will each receive $5 million to establish a Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab and $15 million that will focus on maximum residue levels to ensure that domestic products will have export market access.
“Obviously, I love my row crops colleagues, but without specialty crops at the table, we don't have a voice. We don't get the funding. We're not able to provide our expertise. And we're starting to do that. More importantly, we're starting to get some funding that we can invest in an industry that's so critical to health and vibrancy.”
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