Organic Produce Summit
The 2021 Organic Produce Summit (OPS) brought together many members of the organic fresh produce community in Monterey, CA, on September 15-16 . With 1,200 attendees, engaging farm tours, and informative educational sessions, OPS created an energetic space for organic producers and buyers to discuss hot issues affecting the industry, including controlled environment agriculture (CEA), e-commerce, and opportunities and obstacles for organic fresh produce in a post-COVID world. Two engaging keynote presentations focused on what the organic produce industry can do to continue its strong growth, and a sold-out trade show floor of 150 exhibitors wrapped up the fifth annual OPS.
“Indoor agriculture is increasingly playing a more meaningful role in our fresh produce supply in terms of volume, variety, and geographical footprint. The ability of indoor ag to provide predictability and resiliency for supply, coupled with its lower impact on both the environment and resource use, is drawing substantial interest from both investors and consumers. Clearly, the future will be a hybrid one, and our panels will explore how quickly and responsibly this will happen.”
“If I convey anything today, it is the power of storytelling. The future of organics and the future of supermarketing comes down to storytelling.” Jim Donald Co-Chairman, Albertsons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “COVID changed the way people buy products, so retailers need to change the way they sell products.” David Bishop Partner, Brick Meets Click
“As an industry, we have to relook at the way we go to business. And we can’t be working on it siloed. And when I think about from the grower side of the business and the retailer side of the business, sometimes we go about it siloed versus working together on what that solution looks like. And I think … the opportunity we have as an industry is let’s be open and honest and work with each other on what [the shift to e-commerce] looks like as we move forward.” Robby Cruz Vice President of Produce, Target
“Organic clearly serves the conscious consumer, and as the crisis slows down, as COVID gets normalized, we’re going to … have to answer to that consumer with a responsible package.” Ricardo Crisantes Chief Commercial Officer, Wholesum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “There are 8 billion people to feed in the world. The best thing we can do is feed them organic food.” Larissa Zimberoff Author and investigative journalist
Walter Robb Former Co-CEO, Whole Foods
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OPN State of Organic Produce 2021
OPN State of Organic Produce 2021
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