IPFA’s new hire focuses on sustainability

The International Fresh Produce Association has named Tamara Muruetagoiena as director of sustainability.

The position is a new role for the organization, according to a news release.

“IFPA recognizes sustainability as the social, economic and environmental opportunities and actions that promotes the longevity of our planet and the financial viability of our industry,” Ed Treacy, IFPA’s vice president of supply chain and sustainability, said in the release. “This role is vital to creating, capturing, and sharing the practices we are developing as an industry and I’m thrilled that Tamara, with her impressive background and passionate approach to sustainability is now on board to support our members and our industry.”

Muruetagoiena begins her role in April 2022, the release said, and will focus on IFPA initiatives, including the Sustainability Research Center, member toolkit for communication best practices and assessment tool. She will also serve as the subject matter expert on sustainability and effective practices, according to the release.

Most recently, Muruetagoiena served as the executive director of Great Mountain Forest, where she worked to promote conservation and sustainable forestry. Prior to that, she served as senior global manager in sustainability and research and development at Driscoll’s, where she focused a variety of organizational strategies that included sustainable packaging and plastic use, communications to promote the company’s sustainability efforts, and also provided strategic guidance for the research and development department and relevant work teams, according to the release.

“Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to bringing forward and communicating sustainable practices that support our global environment and make our industry thrive,” Muruetagoiena said. “I’m looking forward to working with our members and industry to create meaningful strategies to advance sustainability in produce and floral across the world. “

Muruetagoiena also has experience working in policy and academia, having worked for the European Union as a policy advisor and as an environmental science researcher at Yale University. She holds a Master of Forest Science from Yale, an MBA and International Marketing Diploma from the University of California at Berkeley and ESEUNE Business School and a bachelor’s from Washington State University, according to the release.