Three hurricanes, in the space of just about one month, have played havoc with the entire Florida economy, but no category may be as vulnerable as the Sunshine State’s produce industry.

The International Fresh Produce Association announced the appointment of two of its members, Russell Hamlin, president of farming operations for Grimmway Farms/Cal-Organic and chair of IFPA’s Organics Committee, and Maria Fernanda Abilgaard, global advocacy manager at AgroFresh, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Federal Advisory Committee.

A biochemistry professor at Texas State University and his students began working about a decade ago on an all-natural way to slow the decaying process and extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.

Azzule announced a newly released addendum created in collaboration with ProExport Papaya to address the needs and challenges of the papaya industry exporting to the United States.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton severely impacted all planted tomato acreage across Florida, the primary source for eastern tomato supplies from November into May. 

Food Lion has awarded $1.4 million in grants for 2024. During its current fall/winter grant cycle, the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation will distribute $750,000 in grants to more than 250 nonprofit organizations across Food Lion’s 10-state footprint. Additionally, the foundation provided more than $675,000 to more than 250 organizations during its spring/summer grant cycle earlier in the year. All the grants support community feeding partners’ efforts to nourish neighbors experiencing hunger and provide nutritional education to their communities.