IFPA’s Foundation for Fresh Produce, PBH Merge

Together, orgs aim to boost fruit and veggie consumption

9/26/2022

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By merging, the IFPA's Foundation for Fresh Produce and the Produce for Better Health Foundation will aim to deliver even greater impact and value to produce industry members.

The International Fresh Produce Association’s (IFPA) Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP) and the Produce For Better Health Foundation (PBH) have revealed that they will combine to further advance fruit and vegetable consumption in the United States and create the largest global community of produce advocates.

“The produce industry has the potential to provide solutions to many of the greatest challenges we face, especially those around nutrition and hunger,” noted Bruce Taylor, CEO of Salinas, Calif.-based Taylor Farms and chair of the board of directors of Washington, D.C.- and Newark, Del.-based IFPA. “Combining the efforts and assets of these two organizations will continue to bolster our efforts to help the world see the importance of investing in health over health care, by driving consumption of fruits and vegetables and tapping into the power of our industry to help change the trajectory of human health.”

“Bringing these two 501(c)(3)s together not only allows us to further scale proven initiatives to pursue our shared mission, but it also allows us to achieve a unified and powerful voice,” said CarrieAnn Arias, VP of marketing at Estero, Fla.-based Naturipe Farms LLC and chair of the PBH board of trustees. “Today, where public health is at the center of some of our greatest challenges, the advocacy needed to improve nutrition security requires resources and strategic partnerships. Bringing these organizations together is the ultimate collaboration and will position our industry to take on a significant role in increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables.”

By merging, the FFP and PBH will aim to deliver even greater impact and value to produce industry members by offering streamlined, cohesive investment opportunities; providing a research-based, consumer-focused platform that can spur consumption behavior change; and serving the public good by promoting fruit and vegetable consumption as a global health priority.

PBH will become an integral part of the FFP as of Jan. 1, 2023. Until then, the organizations will work together to further align and provide a smooth transition. PBH will hold its Retail & Foodservice Immersion Event in conjunction with IFPA’s Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando from Oct. 26-29. The Foundation for Fresh Produce will also host The Race for a Healthier World 5k at the same event.

“With so much misinformation, the opportunity to communicate the benefits of fruits and vegetables is paramount,” observed Martha Hilton, VP of produce and floral at Rochester, N.Y.-based Wegmans Food Markets and chair of the FFP. “Combining our two organizations allows us to leverage the PBH-recognized and -trusted consumer channels and scale some Foundation for Fresh Produce initiatives. Under the Foundation for Fresh Produce, we will be able to galvanize our efforts around the mission of driving consumption to alleviate the many public-health and personal-wellness challenges that stem from nutrition insecurity.”

Both organizations will provide more information during the transition period. In the meantime, supporters can continue to make contributions to both organizations.

The FFP’s vision is to grow a healthier world by changing the trajectory of human health. Brentwood, Mo.-based PBH is the only national organization dedicated to helping consumers live happier, healthy lives by eating more fruits and vegetables, including fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, every single day. Family-owned Wegmans, operating more than 100 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts, is No. 34 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.