WASHINGTON, D.C. – The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) has released its 2026 U.S. Public Policy Agenda, a comprehensive framework for advancing the fresh produce and floral industry’s priorities across six critical areas at a time of significant legislative and regulatory activity in Washington.
“Every one of these priorities is grounded in what our members tell us they need to grow, compete, and continue feeding families across America and around the world, this is our Fight for Fresh” said Cathy Burns, CEO of IFPA. “I am committed to IFPA being the most effective advocate for the fresh produce and floral industry with policymakers and regulators in D.C., the Administration, and wherever decisions are being made that affect our members’ livelihoods.”
IFPA’s 2026 Policy Agenda features six pillars that address the full breadth of the fresh supply chain from the fields where produce is grown to the tables where it is consumed.
The six pillars are:
- Workforce Stability: Modernizing agricultural worker programs, defending regulatory reforms, and improving H-2A and H-2B visa access for the specialty crop sector.
- Nutrition and Health: Protecting and expanding fruits and vegetables access in WIC, SNAP, and school meal programs, advancing produce prescriptions in government health systems, and making fruits and vegetables eligible in HSAs and FSAs.
- Producer Profitability: Championing Farm Bill reauthorization, better risk management tools, and increased research investment in biologicals, precision agriculture, and mechanization.
- Trade: Advocating for science-based trade policies and tariff exemptions for fresh, perishable products to protect year-round consumer access to affordable fruits, vegetables, and florals.
- Supply Chain Resilience: Countering unworkable packaging bans, supporting members through EPR requirements, and advancing the Supply Chain of the Future initiative.
- Food Safety Modernization: Strengthening FDA’s Human Foods Program, sustaining the federal traceability rule, and securing funding for state produce safety programs.
“This policy agenda is our roadmap for the year, and the IFPA Washington Conference in June is one of the most important places where we put it into action,” said Alexis Taylor, Chief Global Policy Officer at IFPA. “When our members come to D.C., they bring with them the real-world impact of these issues, from labor shortages in the field to trade disruptions at the border. That direct engagement with lawmakers is what turns priorities into policy, and this agenda channels the momentum our members have built into sustained policy impact.”
IFPA will host a webinar on Thursday, April 16, 2026, from 12:00–12:45 p.m. ET to brief members and stakeholders on the 2026 U.S. policy agenda. The session will highlight the key legislative and regulatory issues shaping the year ahead and how IFPA’s advocacy efforts align with the needs of the fresh supply chain. Register at freshproduce.com/advocacy/
The full 2026 U.S. Public Policy Agenda is available at freshproduce.com.
