The International Fresh Produce Association gathered hundreds of members to Capitol Hill this September to advocate for the policies and legislation that are most critical to the produce and floral industry.
The Washington Conference, which runs from Sept. 12-15, kicked off programming Wednesday with welcoming remarks from IFPA CEO Cathy Burns. Next, IFPA presented a state of the “fresh nation” general session that included a briefing from senior Biden-Harris Administration officials about the president’s priorities and what to expect on the regulatory horizon.
Additional Wednesday program highlights included a panel of Washington, D.C., journalists who discussed what to expect from Congress for the remainder of 2023.
A “Focus on Fresh” general session included panels addressing the current state of the industry as well as policy related to fresh-produce priorities on issues such as food safety, workforce challenges and increasing produce consumption.
Wednesday evening, fresh produce advocates met at the Rayburn Garden on Capitol Hill to network with IFPA executives, members, advocates and D.C. influencers as the sun set.
Still to come, IFPA’s “Advocate of the Year” will be announced on Thursday, Sept. 14.
