First Global Pineapple Conference a success, second planned for March 2014
First Global Pineapple Conference a success, second planned for March 2014
The International Pineapple Conference held its first Global Pineapple Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica in early November. The conference addressed supply by country, demand for fresh and value-added pineapple, transportation delays at U.S. ports, technology, sustainability and social responsibility.
The IPO quickly caught traction when 37 industry members expressed interest less than a year ago. The organization has gained momentum as 60 people attended the conference in Costa Rica.
Will Cavan, executive director of the International Mango Organization, and Patrick Kelly, CEO and President of Kelly Bros. and International Pineapple Organization board member. The group also held a follow up meeting in Los Angeles in late November.
"We had the world's major producers and importers at the table, and people want more — that's a very good indicator," said IPO Executive Director Will Cavan, who also serves as executive director of the International Mango Organization.
"We had strong participation, great networking and discussions of topics important to the industry. Our interest is to develop farm-to-shelves logistics solutions that would help companies' bottom lines and competitive position in the U.S. market," Executive Vice President of the Tampa Port Authority Raul Alfonso said.
Next steps include the second Global Pineapple Conference March 21-22 in Tampa, FL, hosted by the Tampa Port Authority, to discuss the formation of a USDA/AMS Pineapple Research and Promotion Board.