88 January | February 2026 abasto.com The IFPA held from October 15 to 17 the worlds largest exhibition of fresh produce and flowers BY VIOLETA MONTES DE OCA A naheim, Califor- nia, connected more than 20,000 attendees across the fresh produce and floral supply chain, with 1,100+ exhibi- tors and decision-makers from over 70 countries du- ring the IFPAs Global Pro- duce & Floral Show 2025. The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) hold from Octo- ber 15-17 the worlds lar - gest fresh produce and floral expo, the premier destination for business growth, innovation, and global connections in the industry. Cathy Burns, CEO of IFPA, stood on the stage on the first day to present her State of the Industry addressing and painting a picture of a sector. Trade and Tariffs Noting that tariffs were the biggest impact facing us this year has been tariffs and their impact on global trade, Burns sha- red how IFPA advocates for science-based, transparent trade policies and has suc- cessfully engaged with hi- The Fight for Fresh: Global Produce & Floral Show 2025 gh-level U.S. government officials to represent in- dustry perspectives. In ad- dition, the IFPA Board of Directors met with the U.S. Trade Representative and the National Economic Council in March to pro- vide industry perspective and advocate for exemp- tion of our products. The health benefits of food trade were highligh- ted by research linking fruit and vegetable im- ports to reduced mortality from non-communicable diseases globally. The bo- ttom line is our products matter and save lives, Bur- ns noted. To help future proof the industry and build resi- liency, IFPA launched the Supply Chain of the Future initiative to address rising costs and inefficiencies in the supply chain. This ini- tiative involves collabora- tive workstreams focusing on shelf-life predictability, dynamic incentives, har- monized standards, and smart data escrow. Mem- ber engagement in this initiative has been consis- tently strong and conti- nues to grow. AT THE EXHIBITION HALL 1. Ross Johnson, Mark Daniels, Skylar Hafner, Matt Zapczynski, Patrick Mills, Michael Ybarra, Idaho Potato Commission. 2. Jose Angel Crespo Jr. and Jose Angel Crespo, RCF Distributors. 3. Ramon Ojeda, National Mango Board. 4. Ricardo Batiz, Ivonne Lugo, Jeremiah Hunsaker and David Rojas, SL Produce. 5. Drew Rodriguez, Elizabeth Arias, Kristin Decas, Stacy Lange, Za- chary Baliva, The Port of Hueneme. 1 2 3 4 5 FOOD INDUSTRY