Significant Step Forward in Building a Global Organization

Fresh Cut
November 2004

VENICE, Italy – The International Fresh-cut Produce Association (IFPA) has taken a significant step to advance its commitment to be a leading global resource for the fresh-cut industry.

IFPA Fresh-Cut Europe was held Oct. 4-5 in Venice, Italy. A total of 57 were in attendance at the conference, which drew guests from France, Switzerland, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Russia and the United States.

The event was hosted by Turatti S.r.l., a Caverzere, Italy equipment manufacturer, in cooperation with several other companies and European suppliers. One of the key discussion points during the meeting was to discuss the feasibility of forming a pan-European association for fresh-cut produce and how it would participate in IFPA.

Jerry Welcome, IFPA president, greeting guests at the conference, explained what IFPA is, what it wants to become, its vision, mission and organizational goals and its purpose in meeting with members of the European fresh-cut produce industry.

Today, IFPA has a diverse constituency, is technically driven and has a competitive membership, he told the group. While the organization is heavily North American focused, it is working hard to widen its international membership.

IFPA hopes to become more member and knowledge driven as well as market focused, he said. It also hopes to become even more innovative, technologically and globally focused.

Global Advocate and Resource
IFPA’s vision is to “be the leading global advocate and business resource for companies involved in all aspects of the fresh-cut produce industry,” Welcome said. Its mission is to provide “programs of research, training, education and networking to help members improve their business operations and continue to insure that their fresh-cut, value-added products are safe, wholesome and convenient.”

“Why is IFPA here?” Welcome asked, responding that he and other representatives were there to listen and learn, share information, network with members and determine what is feasible. He also stressed the association’s commitment to becoming a global resource for the fresh-cut community and better serve the needs of its members no matter where they are located. Following Welcome’s address, he and Alessandro Turatti (left) of Turatti S.r.l., Cavarzere, Italy, discussed possible next steps towards developing a more internationally focused and value-added IFPA. Ken Silveira, IFPA chairman, delivered an overview of the business climate for the fresh-cut industry in North America, and Dr. Jim Gorny, IFPA’s vice president of technology and regulatory affairs, spoke to the topic, “Innovative Fresh-cut Technologies and Business/Marketing Strategies.” On the second day of the conference, attendees identified several of the major issues facing European fresh-cut processors, their needs in an association, what they would realistically expect from IFPA. Nineteen individuals representing fresh-cut companies from around Europe volunteered to form an organizing group to pursue the idea of creating a pan-European group. The group also agreed to hold follow-up discussions at a meeting to be held Feb. 9, 2005, in Berlin, Germany.

No Equivalent Organization
While several countries, including Italy, France and Switzerland, do have organizations connecting fresh-cut processors together, there is no equivalent to IFPA on the continental side, Turatti said. This was the first meeting in which top European processors were able to gather together in a group to discuss their respective needs and requirements.

Along with the formal meetings, guests also were able to spend a relaxing morning visiting the northern part of Venice Lagoon. The group made a stop in Burano, best know for its colorful homes and the production of fine lace. The island has its own architectural style and is considered more intimate than Venice.

Another stop was in Torcello, a small island nearby with only a few dozen inhabitants. It is a veritable cornucopia of artichokes and early crops. But the story was very different 1,500 years ago when the island was the cradle of the entire Venetian civilization. After visiting a well-known cathedral in the area, the group moved to Locanda Cipriani. The world-famous founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice fell in love with this enchanting corner of the lagoon in the late 1920s. The Locanda became a literary legend after Ernest Hemingway, during a stay there, wrote his novel, “Across the River and Through the Trees.”

Attending IFPA Fresh-Cut Europe were: Patrick White, Ken Silveira, Nikos Papadopoulos, Dang Nhu Bich, Stefania Grazianetti, Ilari Turatti, Huub Peeters, Francesco Caponetti and Raffaele Pezzoli, Ueli Forster, Nancy Forster, Valerio Zanninello, Giovanni Baudille, Johan Halvorsen, Tino Bellina, Laurent Beaumont, Paola Targa, Maria Poncina, Antonio Turatti, Jerry Welcome, Alessandro Turatti, Daniela del Zotto, Marco Bertoli, Ines Garcia, Manola Belmonte, Patrick Faroux and Boscolo, Bill Nicholson, Tom White, Frederic Bernard, Dimitrios Giannis, Alexandros Giannis, Antonio Canovas, Umberto Galassini, Maria Aurora Zafra, Marco Alvarez, Yves Clement, Raffaella Busana, Marcel Butter, Dan Palmsten, Peter Cook, Claudio Coli, Giancario Colelli, Chaniotakis Dimitris, Andrea Battagliola, Stefano Campazzi, Domenico Battagliola, Alberto Campiglio, Mirko Reto, Robert Langmead, Paddy Callaghan, Nigel Smith, Alksei Zaslavsky, Jason Englandin, Jim Gorny, Paul Bogdanich and David Barney.

© 2004 Columbia Publishing