Washington D.C. – International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) announced the winner of the coveted Advocate of the Year award at this year’s Washington Conference. The winner is a company recognized for serving as an outstanding advocate for the entire produce industry. This year’s honoree is Crunch Pak of Washington state, and was announced on Thursday, September 14 during the annual conference. Crunch Pak Executive Vice President, Tony Freytag was on hand to receive the award.
“The Advocate of the Year is a company who goes above and beyond to elevate the industry and advance our priorities,” said Rebeckah Adcock, vice president of government relations at IFPA. “We are excited to celebrate Crunch Pak as our Advocate of the Year for 2023. Government actions and legislation have an immense impact on our industry, and in order for officials to understand what our industry needs to thrive and to feed our growing world, vocal, active member voices are critically important. When IFPA or the produce industry asks, Crunch Pak answers with action and generous support on all our priorities.”
The Produce Industry Advocate of the Year award is given out to a member company that has made a significant effort to elevate the industry in support of public policy advocacy through engagement with federal legislative, regulatory and other government officials. Past winners have also been actively involved with IFPA produce industry political initiatives such as the Washington Conference, Advocacy Action Network, the FreshPAC and more.
Highlights from the Crunch Pak recognition included:
- Crunch Pak was one of the first companies to use the new “How to host a tour” Congressional Connection guide to bring Members of Congress and their staffs onsite to their operation. This is one of the most effective ways to not only help educate Members and their staff on priority issues, but it provides a view into the personal impact of policy decisions on their constituents.
- This spring, Crunch Pak hosted a Fresh Impact Tour stop, welcoming IFPA staff members and local industry members to come together to discuss government relations priority issues. The Fresh Impact Tour brings members together in their own backyards, strengthening connections and commitments to advocacy work.
- Tony Freytag and Crunch Pak have been instrumental in supporting the work to make the Produce Prescriptions campaign a realty. With their support, IFPA has worked to deliver a strategy to support an industry White House Commitment to enhancing nutrition education. In this particular project, the video has been created for medical students and their patients to learn more about the potential of Produce Prescriptions in health.
- Crunch Pak has also exemplified this award by creating a culture of industry engagement and advocacy. Team members are encouraged to serve on volunteer leadership positions throughout IFPA, lending their talents and passion to a number of industry efforts.
- Freytag has also been generous in personally donating to the FreshPAC at the highest level. The FreshPAC is just one way for the industry to directly support elected officials who are influential in the policymaking that impacts the produce and floral industry.
“Crunch Pak recognizes how important it is for the produce industry to have a voice in legislative and regulatory matters,” said Freytag. “Our involvement with IFPA has been vital for us as we support the efforts to increase produce consumption overall.”
The IFPA Produce Industry Advocate of the Year award is given each year to a company that raises the bar as industry leaders to elevate and strengthen the industry voice wherever possible. IFPA is deeply grateful to Crunch Pak and Tony Freytag for their ongoing commitment to the industry.
About the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our member’s prosperity by conducting advocacy; connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to take action with purpose and confidence.
