Excitement is building up as agriculturists from across Sub-Saharan Africa are counting down the days before the annual Fresh Connections virtual conference kicking off next Tuesday.
For the first time in a decade, registrations for the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) conference are free of charge, bringing together the entire fresh produce supply chain – from growers to exporters, produce markets, market agents, retailers, as well as input suppliers and service providers.
“The focus of this year’s conference is on critical issues such as health and wellness, and to help fresh produce businesses and industry stakeholders to prepare for the future landscape,” says Lianne Jones, country manager of PMA Southern Africa.
“The programme comprises keynote presentations from renowned top-class speakers inside and outside the industry, expert panel discussions and breakout streams focusing on industry-specific topics.”
Among the top speakers confirmed for the three-day conference are:
- Cathy Burns, chief executive of PMA, who will deliver the state of the industry keynote at the opening of the conference on 19 August 2020. She will provide a glimpse on global trends in technology, e-commerce, talent, sustainability, and consumer trends, as well as how these have been impacted by the covid-19 pandemic.
- Peter van Kets, a professional extreme adventurer, will inspire attendees to achieve and sustain true success. During this motivational session, Van Kets will use lessons learned from his expeditions and relate them to the business environment to take attendees on a powerful journey and change the way they think about themselves and their businesses.
- William Li, a world-renowned physician, scientist and author of New York Times bestseller Eat To Beat Disease will present at a PMA members-only session. He will share why now, more than ever, we must fuel our menus and our bodies with the power of produce. Li will explain how fresh produce can help build immunity, and tweaks one can make to existing dishes to maintain or rebuild immunity after a virus has hit.
During two breakout streams, attendees can choose to join the supply chain stream or the sustainability stream. Supply chains are the core of most businesses today and essential to keep all supply chain elements running smoothly to ensure on-time delivery of products and services. In this stream, industry experts and attendees will tackle supply chain issues.
Growing the future
A panel of experts in the sustainability stream will help attendees discover what the future – 10 years from now – might hold and how to pivot a business strategy for long-term sustainable growth.
In a consumer and retail focused panel discussion, leading experts will share their insights and guide attendees to stay ahead of the curve, before they breakout into small groups for further discussions and to get answers to burning questions.
Furthermore, in an engaging, interactive PMA members-only session, dietitian Retha Harmse and meal-kit chef Jolin Judd will demonstrate how to prepare a healthy meal from a meal-kit.
- Food For Mzansi is a media partner to the Fresh Connections: Southern Africa virtual conference. Our readers can look forward to regular updates from the conference held from 18 to 20 August 2020. Click here to register your free attendance.
