Public Policy Matters

This week RPE, LLC ’s Steph Teclaw, Mackenzie Hammond, Greg Zdroik and Craig Fields are in Washington D.C. with hundreds of produce industry peers and pivotal policymakers whose decisions about food safety, nutrition policy, immigration and the Farm Bill will directly affect the fresh food and vegetable industry.

The RPE contingent is at the Washington Conference, an annual event organized by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA).

The 3-day event in Washington D.C. unites fruit and vegetable industry participants in all stages of their career — executives, aspiring leaders and newcomers — to make their voices heard about a wide range of policy and regulatory issues impacting our industry.

The Washington Conference for Mackenzie, Steph, Craig and Greg got underway Monday with Produce Advocacy Bootcamp, where they received tips about making their congressional meetings both memorable and impactful.

Today, Advocating for Fresh on Capitol Hill, was an opportunity for the RPE foursome to deliver a powerful message to help shape decisions made in Washington that directly impact agriculture. They as well as other attendees engaged in strategic, face-to-face dialogue with members of Congress, their staff and top regulatory officials.

The RPE representatives advocated for:

• Modernizing Farm Bill & agricultural policy
• Better nutrition & increased consumption – increased access and demand for healthy, fresh produce
• Agriculture industry labor & workforce reforms – a strong workforce that meets our industry’s needs across the supply chain, focused on finding and retaining the talent needed to grow as an industry

The IFPA was created in 2021 with the merger of United Fresh and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA).

Thank you Mackenzie, Steph, Greg and Craig for representing RPE and the agriculture industry this week in the nation’s capital.