PRESS RELEASE

As changes to the grocery business come fast and furious, and their impact on fresh produce is more pronounced, leaders from three of the nation’s most progressive grocery operations will discuss the future of supermarket retailing and the role of fresh produce during the Retailer Roundtable keynote presentation at Organic Produce Summit 2023 this July in Monterey, CA. 

The engaging and informative presentation, “What Lies Ahead for Fresh Produce and Grocery Marketing," will feature Daniel Bell, director of produce for Grocery Outlet; Sonya Constable, vice president of produce for Sprouts Farmers Market; and Daniel Litwin, vice president fresh produce merchandising for Misfits Market. The session will be moderated by Kevin Coupe of Morning News Beat.

Featuring candid commentary, this insightful and informative conversation between a trio of respected industry leaders will discuss how grocery operators are addressing a variety of challenges and identify opportunities that may exist in the future. Among the subjects to be discussed are the evolving consumer, supply chain issues, the role of technology and e-commerce, new formats, and innovations in grocery retailing.

The three retail leaders are recognized for their innovative marketing and merchandising strategies of increasing organic fresh produce sales, and the keynote discussion will provide an overview of how the different retailers approach fresh produce. Bell has been at Grocery Outlet for the past 13 years, working his way up from produce merchandiser to buyer to his current position as director of produce. Constable has 20 years of experience leading merchandising teams across the grocery, pet, home goods, and apparel categories. She joined Sprouts in 2021 and was named vice president produce earlier this year. Litwin was the first purchasing hire at Misfits and works with growers and distributors to source produce for the company’s customers.

“As the world of grocery retail evolves faster than ever, the changes and impacts are felt across the entire supply chain. OPS attendees will hear from these leaders on how the fresh produce industry and those focused on organics are dealing with the rapidly changing landscape—and what marketing and selling to consumers may look like in the future,” said Susan Canales, President of Organic Produce Summit.

OPS 2023 is a two-day event specifically designed to bring together organic fresh produce growers, shippers, and processors with retailers and buying organizations from across North America. The seventh annual event will be held July 12-13 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, CA.

The Retailer Roundtable keynote, “What Lies Ahead for Fresh Produce and Grocery Marketing” is the second keynote announcement for OPS 2023. In the first keynote, Divert’s Co-Founder and CEO Ryan Begin will share about his company’s leading role in addressing the human and environmental crises created by food waste in a TED Talk-style presentation titled, “Protecting the Value of Food: Learning to Value Food at All Stages of Its Lifecycle—from Seed to Wasted Food to Renewable Energy.”

In addition to the keynote presentations, a series of engaging and relevant ed sessions will round out the OPS 2023 educational program and will cover topics including sustainability, the growing importance of CEA (Controlled Environment Agriculture), new organic rules and regulations, the power of plants, and organic produce sales in an era of inflation.

OPS 2023 also includes a selection of field tours for qualified retailers and buyers, a gala opening night reception, and a sold-out trade show floor featuring over 170 producers and processors of organic fresh produce from across North America and the globe.

More information will be made available in the coming weeks as the event’s program becomes finalized. Registration to attend OPS 2023 is available at www.organicproducesummit.com.

About OPS:

The Organic Produce Summit was started in 2016 and is the only event dedicated exclusively to bringing together organic fresh produce growers, shippers and processors with retail and buying organizations from across the globe.