Interview on the Produce Industry

A friend from high school works in the produce industry and I had the opportunity to ask her some questions about the industry.

---

You mentioned going to a large produce industry conference. Where was it? Who organized it?

There are several national associations that work with and advocate for the floral and produce industry. One of them is the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). They are a great organization that provides resources for the produce industry, helps to foster young talent in the industry and acts as a voice for the industry with government agencies. There are several other organizations that also provide support for the industry. One of the largest is United Fresh Produce. They function just like PMA. Often they will also work together to address significant needs in the community.

The last convention I attended was PMA’s Fresh Summit. It is the largest convention of its kind offered in the states. It draws more than 15,000 attendees from 70 countries. This year it was in Orlando but it moves from year to year. The focus of Fresh Summit is on fresh fruits and vegetables. It is an opportunity for all of us to get together, display our products/services and talk about key industry trends. Recent trends that received a lot of focus at this Fresh Summit were food safety, traceability and working with/managing Generation Y.

Has working in the produce industry changed how you think about food. Has it changed how you eat?

Produce is a new industry for me and it has definitely changed the way I think about food. First of all, I have a greater understanding for all the hard work and effort that goes into producing our food and bringing it to market. It makes me appreciate how lucky we are to have such a wide variety of quality produce available to us.

I also have become very brand conscious. When I used to go shopping I would buy whatever produce I wanted without paying attention to who was growing it. Now, I will seek out and purchase specific brands of apples or tomatoes, etc. I look for brands that I know focus on quality or that have a specific varietal that I particularly like.

What do you think the most interesting aspects of the produce industry are?

I really love everything about the industry. It is hard to narrow it down to a few most interesting aspects. I think the thing that is most interesting about produce to me is the community. Despite the industry being large and spread nationwide, the community has maintained a small, tight-knit feeling. As a newcomer to the industry, I can meet presidents of some of the larger organizations in the industry (think household names like Dole or DelMonte) and have them remember my name the next time I see them at a trade show. People are also very nice and anxious to be helpful or to welcome people into the community. I think it is rare for a large industry to have so much cohesion.

The science of produce is also really interesting to me. I have learned a lot about the natural process that occurs when produce ripens, what it takes to grow certain types of produce, how much the weather and climate changes can impact crops or how important crop rotation can be to improve quality. The technical details are really interesting. Knowing that bananas, as they ripen, actually produce enough heat for you to feel it if you put them in a box for just a few hours or that kiwi has more citrus than an orange and more potassium than a banana fascinates me!

Lastly, I am enthralled by all the different specialty items that are popular elsewhere in the world but are not widely available in the states. I really like to try a lot of the unique fruits such as mangosteen, rambutan or dragon fruit (pitaya). All of them are very high in nutrients and have unique flavors and textures.

Would you say that people in the produce industry are health conscious in general?

People in the produce industry are just like every other segment in America. Some of them are very health conscious and others aren’t. I guess if there is a difference, it would have to be that people in the produce industry focus more on eating fresh produce daily than others in the nation. There is also a greater push within the industry to really eat FRESH produce versus canned or processed.

Where do you get your produce?

I buy my produce at my local chain grocery store. Quality has become a lot more important to me so sometimes I will shop around if one store doesn’t have what I am looking for. I find that I am almost always able to find high-quality, safe produce at a chain in my area. Also, chains are carrying more options for locally grown and organic produce so you can get all of your shopping done in one place.

What do you think everyone should know about the produce industry?

I hate to sound Pollyanna-ish but I think that people should know that the produce industry is filled with good people. People who are concerned about adapting to changing customer demands for faster, easier, healthier eating options. People who want to continue to increase food safety and quality and guarantee that customers can feel confident when purchasing fresh produce. People who are passionate about what they do and work hard to do it well.