Jun 15, 2023
2023 Organic Produce Summit agenda set
Organic Produce Summit 2023 is on track to be the largest in the event’s history and will include several new additions to a robust two-day gathering celebrating the world of organic fresh produce.
More than 300 retailers have confirmed their attendance, and a sold-out trade show floor of 170 organic fresh produce growers and producers from across North America awaits all OPS 2023 attendees.
“OPS 2023 is shaping up to be our highest-attended event yet, providing all facets of the organic fresh produce industry a tremendous opportunity to meet under one roof to address the growth, opportunities, and challenges of the organic fresh produce industry,” Susan Canales, president of OPS, said in a news release. “From retailer field tours, engaging ed sessions and a sold-out trade show floor, OPS 2023 will engage attendees on the strengths of the organic fresh produce industry and what the future may look like.”
The event is July 12-13 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California. It is designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America. It’s the seventh-annual OPS.
Registration to attend OPS 2023 is available at organicproducesummit.com.
To keep OPS fresh and engaging, several new activities have been added at OPS 2023:
• A pre-reception event for first-time attendees and those new to the produce industry. The pre-reception will be just prior to the gala opening reception and will provide an outstanding networking opportunity for those who are new to the industry and/or experiencing their first OPS.
• The first-ever educational session at the Monterey Marriott hotel. OPS has expanded its venue space this year to include the Monterey Marriot, where a special two-hour keynote session on the growth of plant-based foods will take place.
• The expansion of the sold-out OPS trade show floor to include 20 new exhibition booths.
“As OPS continues to grow, our number-one objective is providing a place where members of the organic fresh produce community can discuss and share information on the most current and relevant issues we face,” Canales said in the release. “Our educational program is designed to cover the most topical and important issues facing our industry, and our trade show floor is five hours of networking energy that offers both retailer and organic producer leadership an intimate and dynamic opportunity to exchange ideas and information.”
Highlighting the educational program is a pair of keynote presentations. The Retailer Roundtable keynote, “What Lies Ahead for Fresh Produce and Grocery Marketing,” will feature Daniel Bell, director of produce for Grocery Outlet; Sonya Constable, vice president of produce for Sprouts Farmers Market; and Abhi Rashem, CEO and founder of Misfits Market. The session will be moderated by Kevin Coupe of Morning News Beat.
In the second keynote, Divert co-Founder and CEO Ryan Begin will discuss his company’s leading role in addressing the human and environmental crises created by food waste in a TED Talk-style presentation titled “Protecting the Value of Food: Learning to Value Food at All Stages of Its Lifecycle — from Seed to Wasted Food to Renewable Energy.”
In addition to the keynote presentations, a series of engaging and relevant sessions will round out the OPS 2023 educational program and will cover topics including sustainability, the growing importance of controlled environment agriculture, new organic rules and regulations, the power of plants, and organic produce sales in an era of inflation.
OPS 2023 will also include a selection of field tours for qualified retailers and buyers and a gala opening night reception.
