FPAA Spring Policy Summit set for mid-March
The Fresh Produce Association of the Americas 2023 Spring Policy Summit will have a heavy emphasis on trade issues when the industry meets for the two-day event on March 14-15 at the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa in Tubac, AZ.
FPAA President Lance Jungmeyer said the top government trade representative from both Mexico and the United States have been invited so a lively and frank discussion on market access is expected to take place.
Each year, the summit is designed to focus on policies and regulations that impact importation of fresh produce from Mexico. Jungmeyer said the event has a substantiated history of enriching the discourse between industry and the government across agencies in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement several years ago, is also expected to be a hot topic of conversation.
The summit brings in regulators from all three governments along with produce industry members, with the two-day event filled with open dialogue and updates on many industry topics. Jungmeyer said the summit is organized with food safety being the main topic of discussion on day one (March 14) and trade policy dominating day two (March 15).
“This kind of event brings together stakeholders with regulators in a setting that invites collaboration and constructive input,” he said.
“Our mission is to educate and monitor changes that could impact our industry, and to create partnerships that help guide the produce industry towards achieving lasting, long-term positive changes.”
This year’s event will undoubtedly have a broader reach from FPAA’s perspective as the association recently expanded its focus to become more of a national organization.
Jungmeyer said the produce industry, as it relates to imports from Mexico, has changed over the years with significant crossing of product in California and Texas, as well as Arizona. Many FPAA members operate in several border states and across the country with trade issues that are not confined to Arizona’s border touch point in Nogales. As such, FPAA is expanding its reach to mirror that of its members.
The FPAA’s Spring Policy Summit 2023 is open to all members of the fresh produce industry.
Tim Linden
About Tim Linden | 
Tim Linden grew up in a produce family as both his father and grandfather spent their business careers on the wholesale terminal markets in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Tim graduated from San Diego State University in 1974 with a degree in journalism. Shortly thereafter he began his career at The Packer where he stayed for eight years, leaving in 1983 to join Western Growers as editor of its monthly magazine. In 1986, Tim launched Champ Publishing as an agricultural publishing specialty company.
Today he is a contract publisher for several trade associations and writes extensively on all aspects of the produce business. He began writing for The Produce News in 1997, and currently wears the title of Editor at Large.
