Fresh Summit 2017

Workshop Series III: Going Straight to the Source: Addressing the Growing Demand for Organic Produce (Room 217-218)

19 Oct 17
2:35 PM - 4:05 PM

Tracks: Global Connections

Speaker(s): Matt Seeley, CEO, Organic Produce Network; Oleen Smethurst, AVP/ General Merchandise Manager for Produce Buying & Operations, Costco Wholesale; Jeff Brown, Procurement Manager, Wakefern

Gone are the days when organic produce could only be found in health food stores. As consumers continue to drive the demand for organic fruits and vegetables all year round, the industry is forced to answer the question: where will this product come from and when? With more and more retailers looking for a single source of their conventional and organic fruits and vegetables, growers are more often making the decision to offer both to maintain competitiveness. This session will explore the challenges facing the domestic and global market as players seek to address a growing demand for organic produce.