Supermarket Perimeter - December 2023 - 3

Editor's note
Editorial
JOHN UNREIN
Editor
ANDY NELSON
Managing Editor
HAYLEY HYER
Digital Media Associate Editor
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Publisher
GRETCHEN WAGNER
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LAUREN JULIANA
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and Promotions
WHITNEY HARTMAN
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DUSTIN PICKMAN
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CARLEA CHANCE
Audience Development Specialist
JON HALL
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CARRIE FLUEGGE
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NORA WAGES
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ANNIE FOURNIER
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ELISABETH SPILLMAN
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MARJ POTTS
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BECKY WHITE
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FIONA DANKER
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KATELYN BETZ
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JIM WHITE
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ABBY CHRONISTER
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Corporate
CHARLES S. SOSLAND
Chairman and CEO
L. JOSHUA SOSLAND
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STACI GRECO
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Administrative Officer
MEYER SOSLAND
Chief Operating Officer
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supermarketperimeter.com
DECEMBER 2023 - 3
ANDY NELSON
anelson@sosland.com
Sophomore
success
I can't remember a trade show floor as packed as the one at the recent International Fresh
Produce Association expo in Anaheim.
It was like Fifth Avenue during lunch hour. There were times I tried to turn left off the main drag,
couldn't find an opening and was carried downstream a few aisles before finally finding an outlet.
It was a good two days of exercise, and very good news for IFPA, which celebrated its second
show since its creation after the merger of the Produce Marketing Association and United Fresh.
You expect an inaugural show to generate a lot of buzz. But to have such a big turnout in its
sophomore effort is a sign that IFPA is doing something right - and that there's still no substitute
for in-person trade shows, particularly in a people-first industry like produce.
This year's show included companies from all along the supply chain and more than 60 countries.
And with a buyer for every six attendees, the show " not only delivered in energy but in quality
connections for businesses making new and transformative partnerships, " according to the
association.
That crowded show floor featured over 1,160 exhibitors, including 157 first timers.
In her annual address, IFPA's CEO, Cathy Burns, talked about both the opportunities and
challenges today's produce industry faces.
On the good side, Burns said, fresh produce is in a prominent, maybe unique, position to
positively influence two of the biggest challenges facing Planet Earth: global warming and obesity.
On the bad side, those problems won't be easy to fix.
The heat, flooding and other extreme weather events that have dominated headlines in 2023
as never before have taken a huge toll on agriculture and growers' ability to supply the world with
fresh fruits and vegetables.
And further down the supply chain, logistics hiccups and labor shortages often make those
challenges even greater.
On the nutrition side, the produce industry continues to scratch its collective head - if not
bang it against a wall - over the million-dollar question of why people don't eat more fresh fruits
and vegetables.
Plenty to work on. But based on the energy and sheer numbers at IFPA '23, there's plenty of
room for optimism.

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Supermarket Perimeter - December 2023

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