The International Fresh Produce Association says it recently received accreditation status for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which identified plastics as one of its many environmental concerns.
“As part of our strategic plan, IFPA is focused on growing its worldwide influence and future proofing the industry, one example of which is through sustainability efforts,” IFPA CEO Cathy Burns said in a news release. “The UNEP accreditation is a significant advocacy milestone for IFPA as we expand our presence within the UN system and ensure that the voice of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and plants is heard in global forums and at tables of influence.”
IFPA says this accreditation is the second opportunity it has had to collaborate with and contribute to U.N. initiatives following its observer status for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Our engagement with UNEP — via participating high-level meetings, providing industry perspective and insight to working documents, and testimony to committees and working groups — will allow us to engage in global environmental dialogues, which complements our position within the UNFCCC to negotiate on behalf of our industry in climate discussions,” Tamara Muruetagoiena, vice president of sustainability for IFPA, said in the release.
IFPA says this accreditation is another example of its advocacy in action, which includes a grant to the association’s Foundation for Fresh Produce and its partners to establish a Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab. The lab will assist packaging engineers and researchers working in the fresh fruit and vegetable industry to develop or commercialize sustainable packaging solutions, according to IFPA.
In early 2025, IFPA Australia-New Zealand became a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), which it says underlines its commitment to supporting the fresh produce industry journey to more sustainable packaging practices as part of APCO’s problem-solving collective, working in collaboration with local and global sustainability leaders in government, industry, community groups and academia.
