NOGALES, az — The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas’ 47th Annual Produce Convention and Golf Tournament will be held Nov. 5-7 at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa in Tubac, AZ. The historic resort is sited in a scenic location between Tucson and Nogales along Interstate 19.

Jaime Chamberlain, a past FPAA chairman, describes the association as “the premiere resource for information on the U.S.-Mexican agricultural issues. By far. That’s all I can say. There is not one [related] issue that FPAA does not have a hand in.”

Chamberlain, who is president of J-C Distributing Inc., located in Nogales, said key issues addressed by FPAA involve U.S. and Mexican infrastructure, transportation, food safety, food security, branding and political policy at the state, federal and international levels.

Scott Vandervoet of Vandervoet & Associates Inc. in Rio Rico, AZ, is a board member of the FPAA. (Photo by Tad Thompson)“I can’t speak more enthusiastically about what FPAA does for the industry,” Chamberlain indicated. “They do a fantastic job and a lot of people don’t realize that. FPAA is always trying to find solutions. More than anything else, we are a solution association. It’s easy to point out negative issues. But FPAA comes up with positive solutions and you see results. It’s a fantastic resource for the industry!”

Alejandro Canelos, the past chairman of FPAA, said, “I think Lance [Jungmeyer, association president] and his group are doing a fantastic job. Lance is one of my favorite people.”

Canelos also indicated that FPAA works on regulations, infrastructure and generally all aspects of trade concerning Mexican exporters and Nogales distributors.

Scott Vandervoet, an FPAA board member, said he and other association members travel to Washington, DC, and Mexico City to “ensure points of view are shared and to clarify understanding on the way we see issues.” Vandervoet added that FPAA also works “quite a bit” at the state level in Phoenix.

Vandervoet emphasized that these issues affect not only Mexican growers and Nogales distributors, but the entire North American produce trade.

Vandervoet makes no more than one trip a year for FPAA but he credited staff members Lance Jungmeyer, Allison Moore and Georgina Felix for carrying the heavy load for FPAA members. A number of volunteer board members and officers travels on behalf of FPAA.

“We have been successful in improving the image of border commerce and border communities,” said Vandervoet, who operates Vandervoet & Associates, Inc., in Rio Rico.

“One of the most important things FPAA does is host its Spring Policy Summit. That brings regulators from Mexico City and D.C. to Tubac for conversations that are really important” for many issues involving the important trade,” Vandervoet said

Canelos, who is the director of Apache Produce LLC, based here, credited Nogales-based Walter Ram, The Giumarra Companies’ vice president of food safety, for contributing his expertise to FPAA on matters of food safety and food safety technology.