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Jill Dutton

Jill Dutton, associate editor of The Packer, specializes in retail produce news, market trends and urban farming initiatives. With expertise in the rapidly evolving e-grocery landscape, she provides analysis on how digital platforms are reshaping food distribution. Jill is a prominent voice on sustainability and consumer trends, offering actionable insights that help businesses navigate shifting market demands. Her work explores the full produce journey — from farm to retail — featuring grower profiles, supply chain insights and emerging production models that shape American food systems.

Latest Stories
According to a 2026 food waste report, U.S. surplus food dropped by 2.2% in 2024 to 70 million tons, largely due to a nearly 950,000-ton reduction in residential waste as Americans found new ways to extend their grocery budgets.
Dole is celebrating its 125th Pineapple Crowning Anniversary in 2026 with a year-long campaign of events and digital content, highlighted by the success of its award-winning, coconut-flavored Colada Royale pineapple.
The expanded collaboration brings the surplus grocery app to over 100 stores across four states, offering shoppers deep discounts on fresh food while diverting waste from landfills.
An Iowa State University team has developed an AI companion that uses a database of over 31 million images and conversational technology to provide farmers with real-time identification and expert management advice for insects and weeds.
Industry experts emphasize that winning Cinco de Mayo 2026 requires a complete-solution approach, leveraging high-impact cross-merchandising, perfect ripeness and a strategic two-week promotional window.
Eating a wide variety of fermentable fibers acts like a natural volume dial for the body’s satiety hormones, effectively triggering the same GLP-1 pathways as modern metabolic medications right from the produce aisle.
Agriculture expert Will Westmoreland explains how the Iran conflict has triggered surging prices for fuel, fertilizer and plastics, creating a direct economic bridge between Middle Eastern instability and rising costs in the U.S. produce aisle.
A recent GBAO Strategies poll revealed 68% of Marylanders support a ban on electronic shelf labels, with roughly seven in 10 voters expressing concern the technology will lead to higher grocery prices and predatory surveillance pricing.
Retailers and tech analysts argue electronic shelf labels are a vital response to labor shortages and inventory waste, while labor advocates and lawmakers warn the technology acts as a vital component for predatory surveillance pricing and the elimination of middle-class grocery jobs.
Veteran’s Farm of North Carolina, founded by a former Marine, is helping veterans rebuild purpose, community and direction through hands-on agricultural lessons.