“Specialty crops” are legally defined by the USDA as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture,” and they represent ~350 commodities across 220,000 farms in the U.S. Ensuring these crops are able to thrive in the face of climate pressures is critical for both human nutrition and agricultural resilience. Yet, they are under-discussed in the climate conversation.
The event began with the presentation of our inaugural AgTech Leadership Prize to Dr. Nick Dokoozlian, Vice President of Grape, Wine, and Beverage Research at Gallo. Nick’s keynote emphasized the need for innovation in specialty crops, and through sharing his pioneering work in grapes, he illustrated the importance of building coalitions and partnerships across commodities and sectors to catalyze the research required to find solutions to pressing challenges.
The discussion continued with a dynamic panel featuring Vonnie Estes - VP of Innovation, International Fresh Produce Association, Sarah Evanega - VP of Business Development, Okanagan Specialty Fruits, Brad Zamft - CEO and Co-Founder, Heritable Agriculture, and moderated by Triple Helix’s Sarah Garland. The conversation highlighted the tremendous opportunities that specialty crop innovation presents, adding direct value for growers while also enabling the availability of high quality, safe, affordable fruits and vegetables for consumers.
Thank you to all who joined us in person! Let’s continue to bring attention to specialty crops in a climate context!