IFPA 2026 state of the industry: 7 strategic priorities to keep growing in a disruptive environment

Kathy Burns noted that the major industry challenges like food safety, trade, labor, sustainability, technology, or nutrition rise or fall together. “Resilience is not simply the ability to withstand pressure. It is the ability to keep growing through it, to keep learning, to keep showing up for one another and to keep choosing progress,” Burns said. “The future of fresh will not be shaped by one company, one country or one idea. It will be shaped by all of us.” 7 Key themes from the IFPA State of the Industry were included: rebuilding trust, protecting year-round supply, build resilience through sustainability and innovation, address packaging policy and food safety together, put Ai at work, put F&V at the heart of public health policies,

Rebuilding trust through food safety and traceability.

Following a cyclospora outbreak that shook consumer confidence and drove significant retail, foodservice, and school foodservice losses, IFPA mobilized member resources, maintained contact with regulators, and challenged misinformation. The association is strengthening collaboration with public health agencies, advancing prevention-focused standards and pushing for implementation of traceability requirements. An IFPA and industry-developed warehouse management solution is estimated to save 8 million labor hours and $250 million annually in compliance costs.

Protecting year-round supply through trade, labor and smart policy.

IFPA is helping members navigate tariffs, advocating for exemptions on key agricultural inputs and promoting access to a stable workforce. The association’s work spans U.S., European Union and multilateral trade policy, Farm Bill priorities, research, mechanization, nutrition, risk management and reforms that support agricultural employers.

Building resilience through sustainability and practical innovation

Through its advocacy efforts, IFPA regained access to U.S. federal investment for regenerative agriculture, helped create regenerative agriculture benchmarks through the Consumer Goods Forum and expanded engagement on plastics, climate and global policy. Its message is clear: increasing produce consumption is climate action.

Addressing packaging policy without compromising safety or access

IFPA is advocating for workable, consistent approaches to Extended Producer Responsibility regulations, recognizing packaging’s role in food safety, traceability, shelf-life extension and reducing food loss and waste. Through its Packaging Innovation Program, IFPA is also elevating solutions that help companies prepare for emerging requirements.

Putting AI to work for members

IFPA is applying artificial intelligence to real business challenges—not pursuing technology for its own sake. Initiatives include an early-warning pathogen monitoring tool, a digital twin to forecast the economics of changing packaging regulations, expanded food safety and consumer insights in the Global Intelligence Engine, and practical education on agentic AI.

Making fruits and vegetables central to health strategy

IFPA and The Foundation for Fresh Produce are advancing produce in dietary guidance, school meals, SNAP, WIC, produce prescriptions and global disease-prevention frameworks. Consumer initiatives—including the multilingual All Day, Every Day campaign and the Fruit & Veggie Hub in the WIC Shopper App—are designed to make produce easier to choose, understand and enjoy.

Convergent policies

Burns underscored that the association’s policy priorities are inseparable. A safe, stable supply supports trade and access; resilient production requires a reliable workforce, affordable inputs and responsible packaging; and innovation matters most when it helps people choose more fruits, vegetables and flowers. “Fresh products move at the speed of trust,” Burns said. “When confidence is strong, borders open, markets function, buyers buy and consumers choose fresh. Safety, traceability, transparency and trade flow are all part of the same promise: getting fruits, vegetables and flowers to people safely, consistently and efficiently.”

Inflation and changing consumption persists

That promise is being tested by persistent inflation and changing consumer behavior. IFPA’s Consumer Tracker found that nearly one-quarter of U.S. consumers buy fewer—or skip—fresh fruits and vegetables when prices exceed what they are willing to pay. At the same time, the keynote identified opportunities to connect fresh produce with growing consumer interest in fiber, wellness, personalized nutrition and digital health tools.

“If we are serious about preventing diet-related disease, fruits and vegetables must be central to nutrition strategy and policy—not an afterthought, not an add-on, but a starting point,” Burns said. “We are not simply part of the solution. We are at the heart of it.”

Collective action, a “fight for fresh”

Burns closed by challenging the global industry to match the scale of today’s pressures with collective action, urgency and imagination. “The world needs us,” Burns said. “Together, we are not just responding to change—we are shaping what comes next. Together, we are growing a healthier, more connected, more resilient world. And together, we will relentlessly fight for fresh.”