About International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS)

United Fresh is a founding board member of IFPS.

IFPS is the voice of fresh produce industry associations from Canada, the USA, Chile, New Zealand, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. As a coalition of equal partners.

IFPS provides a comprehensive forum to address issues in the fresh fruit and vegetable sector which require international harmonization or standardization.

Our primary areas of interest are related to the structure, management and the implications of produce identification standards, food safety standards and data management standards, on the global fresh produce trade.

New Report Outlines Sustainability Opportunities for Produce Industry - 2023 

The International Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) has released a new report outlining sustainable practices for the produce industry. The report, titled "Summary- IFPS Sustainability Symposium," highlights the need for sustainable practices to ensure the long-term health and success of the industry.

The report was developed following the IFPS Symposium, which brought together industry leaders from around the world in December 2022 to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the produce industry. The symposium identified key areas where the industry can make a significant impact on sustainability, including waste reduction, water conservation, and responsible sourcing.

"We are thrilled to release this report, which outlines the challenges faced by the industry and a pathway toward practical solutions for the produce industry to become more sustainable," said Rebecca Lee, Chair of IFPS. "As consumers increasingly prioritize sustainability, it is essential for the industry to take action and implement sustainable practices that benefit the environment, communities, and the long-term health of the industry."

The report highlights the importance of collaboration within the industry to promote sustainability. "We need to work together to implement sustainable practices and ensure the long-term success of the produce industry," said Lee. "We hope this report will serve as a roadmap for the industry to make meaningful progress towards sustainability."

To read the full report, visit the IFPS website here.

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Industry Virtual Global Sustainability Symposium - Held Friday 11th November 2022

Background

Over the last few years, the IFPS Board has increasingly become concerned about the impact of the wide variety of sustainability-related initiatives, legislation, regulations, and retailer-initiated requirements on global fresh produce value chains.

The disparate drivers of sustainability, such as the EU Green deal, consumers putting on pressure in different ways around the globe and apparent misalignment in the buying community, can be very confusing.

In addition, after the 2021 UN Global Food Systems Summit, the IFPS Board came to the conclusion that there was a need for specific work from a fresh produce perspective.

Efforts are needed to ensure that sustainability standards, developed at different points in the produce value chain, are not in contradiction with each other; are not creating unintended roadblocks to domestic and international trade; and are implemented and managed in the most cost-effective way to ensure that value chain participants from growers to retailers are able to effectively adopt and integrate sustainability standards into their businesses.

Through this Symposium, IFPS sought to address the current landscape in the global produce industry, recognizing that achieving sustainability goals will require alignment between stakeholders and a harmonized approach to sustainability.

The objective was to reach a common understanding of what sustainability actually means within the global fresh produce industry and where our emphasis as an industry, going forward, should be placed.

In order for the global food system to feed the future population in a sustainable and healthy way, changes are needed all along the entire supply chain.

The Position Paper and Summary Report can be downloaded below:

Position Paper – Sustainability as an Industry Goal – July 2022

Summary Report - Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Industry Virtual Global Sustainability Symposium - Jan 2023