IFPA Southern Africa Conference Highlights Key Takeaways for Fresh Produce Industry

Earlier this month, the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) 2024 Southern Africa Conference provided industry members from a number of key export regions around the world with valuable, industry-specific insights to help navigate the complexities of the fresh produce industry in a rapidly evolving global landscape. 

The programme began with IFPA’s Women’s Fresh Perspective Breakfast, which aims to promote gender diversity and inclusion by inspiring, informing and empowering women in the industry.  Career strategist Licia Dewing spoke about the importance of leveraging social media to help women build their personal brand, expand professional networks, showcase their skills and expertise, and tell their unique story.

Following this presentation, Miriam Wolk, IFPA’s Chief Membership Officer, presented the State of the Industry, an overview of the key challenges and opportunities facing the fresh produce sector. Her presentation focused on the “E3 wave”—economics, environment, and emotions—as a driving force impacting the industry.

“Of the many factors affecting our industry, farmers are grappling with escalating production costs while also facing consumers’ budget-conscious spending in the face of rising retail prices, and increased anxiety about economic, environmental and geopolitical concerns,” said Wolk. She added: “It is imperative that our industry stay informed about consumer sentiment and alleviate anxiety about cost by demonstrating not only the value of fresh produce, but also appealing to key consumer trends such as health and well being, nostalgia and sustainability. The programme then addressed specific topics of interest to Southern Africa members:

• Frans Cronje, an independent political and economic advisor, presented an analysis of geopolitical trends and their impact on the fresh produce industry.  Dr. Cronje shared that Southern Africa is well-positioned for global growth and must be proactive in shaping its future in our global economy, in part by public-private collaboration to drive economic development.
• Building on this, Michelle Phillips, CEO of Transnet SOC Ltd, shed light on the potential for port privatization to drive export efficiency and competitiveness.
• Jean Claude Gelle, partner at McKinsey & Company, shared insights on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming the global supply chain, and what industry members can do to seize the opportunity that AI presents, while maintaining cybersecurity.
• A panel of experts, including Travis Coppin of Food Lovers Market, Trevor Dukes of The Fruit Farm Group and Shuba Rahwal of IG International, shared perspectives on the European and Indian export markets, as well as domestic retail in South Africa.

“This year’s IFPA Southern Africa Conference presented a wide range of expert insights on topics of urgency to our industry,” said Jaco Oothhuizen, Chair of the IFPA’s Southern Africa Country Council and CEO of RSA Group.  “What was most engaging was the opportunity for conference attendees to network with one another and discuss the issues that were presented.  The interactive nature of the programme allows our members to participate in the dialogue and put these expert insights into practice. “

IFPA’s Miriam Wolk added: “ IFPA greatly appreciated the opportunity to engage with IFPA members and industry colleagues at the 2024 Conference. We look forward to continuing the dialogue started at this year’s programme and helping our Southern Africa members find practical solutions and resources to seize opportunities and address challenges both locally and globally.”