52 • November / December 2026• abasto.com BY MARY HESLEP TEN ACRE MARKETING W ith each passing year, the media noise gets louder and our abili- ty to pay attention sinks lower. The average attention span on a digital screen has shrunk to 47 seconds, down from 2.5 minutes in 2004, according to research by Gloria Mark of the University of California, Irvine. Mark has also found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to a task after a single interruption. Productivity is a top issue for leaders- hip, and the produce industry is no excep- tion. Add today’s productivity accelerator, artificial intelligence, and the question be- comes: Is AI truly creating efficiencies, or is it adding to the challenge? Productivity was not the only hurdle in 2026. Across agriculture, labor and ta- riffs jockeyed for the top spot on the de- cision-making dashboard. On any given Turn Down the Volume, Win Back Trust Three ways produce leaders can regain consumer trust amid disruption. day, one of the two forced teams to aban- don their work and address the emergency du jour. Then spring came along and said, “Watch this.” Food safety issues such as Cyclospora and Listeria created a whodunit summer of confusion. Some consumers abandoned fresh produce altogether, guided by misin- formation or an attention span too short to absorb accurate information. The Interna- tional Fresh Produce Association said in a summer webinar that consumer trust in fresh produce had deteriorated by 88%. As we enter the fourth quarter, the challenges are only intensifying. Can this year be salvaged? Brilliant professionals across the produce supply chain are working tirelessly so we can enter the new year with optimism and opportunity. Here is how we protect our reputation as an industry and regain con- sumer trust. • Continues on page 54 • AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY