IFPA highlights power of collaboration and advocacy in challenging times

Resilience, collaboration and proactive advocacy hold the keys to securing a bright future for fresh produce following what has been a bruising year for the industry, the chief executive of the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has said.

Cathy Burns, opening the 2026 Global Produce & Floral Show in Orlando, Florida this week, recounted a challenging 12 months that included a major food safety scare, uncertainty around tariffs and the fallout of the conflict in the Middle East and its subsequent impact on fuel prices.

Her wide-ranging speech covered the association’s advocacy work, the potential of AI, and consumer initiatives to encourage healthier eating among younger generations.

Managing the challenges

One of the biggest crises facing the US fresh produce sector over the past year was the devastating cyclospora outbreak, which was estimated to have cost $280mn of retail losses per month and a decline in salad consumption across 6.5mn households.

IFPA responded with a range of interventions including meeting with regulatory officials, hiring global crisis communications firm Penta, and establishing a Cyclospora Rapid Response Task Force.

“When headwinds batter our industry, we are committed to being your unified voice to advocate and serve as the source of truth,” Burns said, stressing that IFPA went on the front foot to educate consumers and correct misconceptions around fresh produce.

That led to IFPA becoming the fifth-most-cited information source at the height of the outbreak, behind only the FDA, CDC, WebMD and Mayo Clinic. “We stepped in to reclaim the narrative, pushing back on misinformation, elevating facts over fear and constantly reminding consumers that fresh produce is safe, healthy and essential,” she added.

The drive for transparency

The situation further underlined the need for transparency and traceability – key issues facing the industry – and to that end IFPA is piloting a Warehouse Management System that is estimated to have the potential to save eight million labour hours and $250mn annually in traceability compliance costs.

The organisation has also built a pathogen scraper for members that actively monitors public health databases and helps boost confidence in the industry. “Fresh produce only moves at the speed of trust,” Burns said. “And when confidence is shaken, the disruption does not stop at one commodity, country or company – it causes a ripple effect across the system. But when confidence is strong, borders open, markets function, buyers buy and consumers choose fresh.”

Tariffs, trade disruption and increases in the cost of fresh produce are all challenging the industry further, with consumer tracker data indicating that nearly a quarter of US consumers either buy fewer fresh fruit and veg or skip the category altogether when prices exceed what they are willing to pay. Only around a third say they buy the exact same amount regardless of price.

On the trade stage, IFPA has lobbied for tariff exemptions on key agricultural inputs and promoted access to a stable workforce for US growers, as well as undertaking a range of advocacy on issues ranging from regenerative agriculture to plastics, climate and global policy.

Burns also described Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) rules as “a global issue that could fundamentally reshape your businesses” and one that is “in the bullseye of our efforts”. IFPA is advocating for exemptions and exclusions from EPR regulations on the basis that packaging is critical to reducing food loss and waste, and in the US specifically it wants to see federal guidelines rather than state-by-state regulations on the issue.

AI assistance

A long-time supporter of the potential of technology and AI to support the industry’s goals, Burns outlined how artificial intelligence is being leveraged to boost decision-making and food safety.

She gave examples of how Claude is being used for autonomous biological monitoring – citing the startling case of the AI agent solely raising a tomato plant named Sol in what is believed to be a world first.

Elsewhere, the world’s first fully sealed vertical farm has opened in Japan, while in Kenya solar-powered cold-storage solutions are helping farmers preserve their products.

Burns said technology needs to be practical and useful rather than just “for technology’s sake”, but stressed that AI holds huge promise for the sector. “AI can help this industry do what it has always done best, only with greater speed, greater insight and greater precision,” she said.

IFPA is embracing AI by creating a digital twin project to help members forecast the economics of changing packaging regulations in the EU, while food safety content is built directly into its Global Intelligence Engine, which offers data and insights to help members grow their businesses. A tech podcast is also focusing on agentic AI opportunities and its implementation in fresh produce and floral.

Driving consumption

Burns also spoke about the IFPA’s efforts to boost consumption and connect fresh produce with health goals in the minds of shoppers. That has included working with the Foundation for Fresh Produce on solutions to grow consumption, fighting for fruit and veg in the health and nutrition space, and having its recommendations reflected in updated dietary guidelines for Americans.

School meals, produce prescriptions, fresh produce access programmes, engaging with the World Health Organisation, and supporting nutritional training for medical students are also focus areas.

Consumer initiatives have included the launch of the ‘All Day, Every Day’ campaign and the Fruit & Veggie hub in the WICShopper app, which is designed to make produce easier to choose, understand and enjoy.

Burns concluded her speech by challenging the global industry to match the scale of today’s pressures with collective action, urgency and imagination. “The world needs us,” she said. “Together, we are not just responding to change – we are shaping what comes next. Together, we are growing a healthier, more connected, more resilient world. And together, we will relentlessly fight for fresh.”