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Plant-based diets seemed to be all the rage in 2019, making it a hot topic among industry professionals trying to determine the best ways to market, sell and promote fruits and vegetables to consumers.

As consumer interest in topics like locally grown food, sustainability, food deserts and urban agriculture continues to grow, innovative produce companies continue to meet demand.

West Mexico provides a large amount of the fruits and vegetables consumed in the U.S. each winter, and that includes an ever-expanding selection of organic produce.

Organically grown products and sustainable packaging should go hand in hand, so many organic growers, shippers and distributors are launching programs to reduce the use of plastics.

While a mid-December “phase one” trade agreement with China lifted spirits and forestalled any escalation in the trade war with China, it did not immediately remove Chinese tariffs on fresh produce.

Mother Nature seemed to smile on growers throughout the U.S. as the 2019-20 citrus season got underway.

Food safety issues, particularly E. coli outbreaks, continued to disrupt the industry in 2019, even as the Food and Drug Administration announced a New Era of Smarter Food Safety initiative.

California growers were somewhat happier with the way this year’s citrus season was shaping up compared to last year.

Mandarins continue to gain popularity among consumers, often at the expense of navel oranges. But it’s way too soon to count navels out.

Citrus has become one of the produce department’s leading organic items.