More than 350 members of the International Fresh Produce Association representing every segment of the global fresh produce and floral supply chain descended on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, last week to urge Congress to quickly advance a Farm Bill and other legislation that supports specialty crops, federal nutrition initiatives and workforce challenges.
They also lobbied for relief from a patchwork of state extended producer responsibility laws that they said could disrupt fresh supply chains, complicate interstate commerce and potentially discourage produce consumption or threaten food safety – which was another top talking point when visiting their senators and representatives.
Their visit comes as legislators are scrambling to advance the Farm, Food and National Security Act of 2026, also known as the Farm Bill, which is a massive, multiyear omnibus law that provides funding and direction for national agriculture, food systems and nutrition assistance. The House passed its version of the Farm Bill at the end of April and the Senate plans to release a draft of its version in mid-June with ambitious plans to mark it up before the end of summer. The versions then need to be reconciled – ideally before the current 2018 Farm Bill extension expires on Sept. 30.
In this episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Soup-To-Nuts Podcast, leaders and members of IFPA share their wish list for the Farm Bill and policies that will boost fruit and vegetable consumption, ensure growers have access to sufficient labor through the H-2A visa program, reinforce food safety and address challenges related to state extender producer responsibility laws.
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Specialty crops’ Farm bill wish list
A common theme that emerged throughout presentations made on stage at IFPA’s Washington Conference in the days leading up to the association members’ meetings on the hill was that specialty crops, which includes many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts and grains beyond commodity row crops that people eat every day, are treated by federal policy as an afterthought despite representing a significant share of US agricultural value.
According to IFPA, specialty crops represent more than $75 billion in annual farm gate value, yet it argues growers continue to operate without the same policy tools available to other sectors of agriculture.
Kam Quarles, CEO of the National Potato Council and co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, acknowledged at the conference that the recently passed House Farm Bill includes several meaningful wins for the produce industry, but, he said, the group has a lot of work ahead to ensure growers have access to the research from mechanization investments, precision agriculture, crop insurance improvements and overall economic certainty needed to remain competitive long term.
Among those wins is $30 million earmarked for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and $20 million for mechanization and automation research for specialty crops, which Kasey Cronquist, the president of the North American Blueberry Council, described as gamechanger for providing affordable food while maintaining profits.
He explained that labor accounts for 40% to 60% of the cost of blueberries, but automation – especially for harvest – would help the crop compete in the global marketplace, and be more accessible for consumers.
Equally important for future-proofing specialty crop production is research and risk management tools that are tailored for the industry, which is why Quarles encouraged IFPA members to ask legislators for support.
Updates to visa programs essential for recruiting and paying for labor
As pivotal as advances in automation, research and risk management are in future-proofing produce, labor is fundamental to moving produce from the field to the plate, and as Kate Tynan of the Northwest Horticulture Council explains it is increasingly difficult to secure and fund.
She explained that while recent changes to the H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate to account for skill levels and housing costs gave growers a “glimmer of hope,” she advocated for additional legislation to improve the H-2A visa program, which allows US growers to hire temporary and seasonal agricultural workers from other countries when there is a shortage of domestic labor.
She explained that analysis conducted by the Northwest Horticulture Council found that Washington state apple growers spend 108% of sale of their fruit on labor costs in 2023 – and that went up to 110% in 2024. This is unsustainable for future generations of farmers, which is why she said congress needs to codify recent changes to the Adverse Effect Wage Rate to lower labor costs and make them more predictable.
Tynan notes that while reforms to the H-2A Adverse Effect Wage Rate made a huge difference in realigning minimum wage requirements, it comes with some tradeoffs, including overtime requirements, additional administrative responsibilities and as a tiered system it could cause challenges within the workforce.
Beyond ameliorating uncertainty through congressional action on the Adverse Effect Wage Rate methodology, the produce industry asked legislators to reinforce predictability by streamlining the H-2A processes to reduce cost, complexity and delays, expand it to cover all producers, and remove the H-2B cap to help meet labor needs in eligible segments of the industry.
Tynan stressed that all of these are foundational to the long-term viability of the produce industry and its ability to balance supply and demand.
Strategies to drive produce consumption
While growers focused heavily on production challenges, industry leaders also argued that policy can play a role in increasing consumption.
IFPA’s nutrition priorities range from federal feeding programs and school meals to emerging “food as medicine” initiatives that connect produce consumption with health outcomes. One of the group’s top priorities is protecting increased fruit and vegetable benefits within the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.
Alison Hard, the policy director for the National WIC Association, pushed back against a common perception that higher fruit and vegetable benefits in WIC were a temporary pandemic-era measure. She noted that the current benefit levels stem from recommendations made by the National Academies of Sciences after years of evidence showing that larger produce allowances improve dietary quality and encourage families to try a wider variety of fruits and vegetables.
“We are really pleased with that, and we want to keep that benefit,” she said, asking IFPA members to urge legislators to protect WIC’s produce benefit.
Retailers also support maintaining the enhanced produce benefit. Stephanie Johnson, VP of government relations with the National Grocer’s Association, argues that it helps families purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables while simplifying participation in a program that can be administratively complex for grocery stores.
“Our members aren’t necessarily making a ton of money on the program. It is a labor-intensive nutrition program that our members participate in because they know that they’re providing important nutrients for moms and babies,” but when the benefit is bigger for participants, it creates economies of scale for grocery stores to participate, she explained.
Food as medicine programs open door to the $13 trillion healthcare market
Beyond traditional nutrition programs, produce advocates are increasingly focused on “food as medicine” initiatives, which allow healthcare providers to prescribe fruits and vegetables to patients with chronic health conditions.
SunTerra CEO Steve Brazeel explains this is a phenomenal opportunity for the fresh fruit and vegetable industry to tap into the $3 trillion healthcare market. For example, he explained his company entered the healthcare space after participating in USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box program during the pandemic and now works with Medicaid programs that provide produce boxes to patients managing diet-related diseases.
IFPA is backing legislation that would create additional opportunity to test and expand these programs through federal healthcare systems. For example, the Accountable Produce is Medicine Act and the Produce Prescription for Veterans Act.
Industry leaders also are pushing for additional funding for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program in schools and for maintaining requirements that students receive a variety of vegetable types throughout the week.
Food safety funding needed
But while nutrition advocates focused on boosting consumption, another group at the conference emphasized the importance of maintaining consumer confidence in the safety of the food supply.
During a policy briefing, industry leaders urged Congress to support robust funding for FDA and state-level food safety programs and to strengthen coordination among agencies involved in food safety oversight – without which, chaos would ensue, according to Drew McDonald, senior VP of quality and food safety oversight at Taylor Farms.
He explained that FDA oversees 220,000 facilities worldwide, which is more than it can manage without state help.
While the states are pivotal for food safety, McDonald also stressed that FDA and USDA should not be let off the hook. Congress should hold the agencies accountable for delivering measurable improvements and strengthening food safety oversight. He also stressed that more effective food born illness investigations and clearer communication about them would benefit both public health and consumer confidence.
Who should pay for recycling programs?
Another emerging issue that generated significant discussion was extended producer responsibility, or EPR.
A growing number of states are adopting packaging laws that shift some recycling and waste-management costs onto companies that introduce packaging into the marketplace. Produce companies say those programs may make sense in theory, but they worry that a patchwork of state requirements could create major compliance challenges.
They also could cost companies hundreds of thousands – or even millions – of dollars in some states, which – believe it or not – is not the hardest part, according to stakeholders.
Rather, they argue EPR laws move the goalposts in a way that could be more detrimental to public health. They explained that produce packaging serves functions beyond marketing, including protecting food safety, reducing spoilage and allowing consumers to inspect quality before purchase.
They also warned that differing rules from state to state could complicate interstate commerce.
Top takeaway
Armed with a laundry list of requests and the facts to back up why legislators should care, IFPA members hit the hill prepared to deliver a consistent message: The produce industry, and specialty crops in particular, face challenges that often don’t fit neatly into policies designed for other sectors of agriculture, and change is necessary to future-proof the food supply.
