The Millen, Ga.-based Southeast Produce Council said it will again work with FMI—The Food Industry Association and unveil the 2021 edition of the produce industry’s premier research, the Power of Produce, at Southern Exposure on April 7.
“We are excited to once again debut the Power of Produce to the industry during Southern Exposure,” David Sherrod, president and CEO of the SEPC, said in a news release. “This year’s study will provide unique insights into produce purchases throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, how the people of the produce industry shone and how we can improve as an industry moving forward.”
At the Southern Exposure education session, three produce retail and foodservice industry leaders will add real-life market insights to the study findings with the help of moderator Rick Stein, FMI vice president of fresh foods, according to the release. Panelists at the session include Gary Baker, produce director at Merchants Distributors, Inc., Price Mabry, director of produce and floral at HAC, Inc. and Mike Roberts, director of produce operations at Harps Food Stores, Inc.
“Today’s produce shopper has a lot on their mind—from health and well-being to addressing cooking fatigue,” Stein said in the release. “Food retailers and suppliers have an opportunity to support shoppers in their health and well-being goals and offering culinary experiences around produce. At the same time, we see an increase in online produce sales, which opens a whole new way to meet shopper’s produce needs. It’s an exciting time for the produce industry and I’m looking forward to diving into the Power of Produce findings at Southern Exposure.”
With attendee health and safety top of mind, the release said the Power of Produce education session will be in a room double the historic session size with seating socially distanced. Personal protective equipment and sanitation stations will be provided on-site as well as temperature screening at the session entrance, the release said.
The Power of Produce is developed by FMI, conducted by 210 Analytics and supported by data from IRI, according to the release. This research revealed annually during Southern Exposure, is made possible by the sponsorship of the Southeast Produce Council, Burris Logistics and Yerecic Label.
Industry professionals and press can register for the Southeast Produce Council’s Southern Exposure at https://seproducecouncil.com/events-networking/southern-exposure/. To learn more about the Power of Produce research study, please visit FMI.org/FreshFoods.
