IFPA Names Erik Larsen as Director of Supply Chain

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) is deepening its focus on the future of the fresh produce supply chain by naming Erik Larsen as director of supply chain. In this role, Larsen will lead the charge on the priorities that matter most to IFPA members: traceability, data sharing and the modernization of industry standards, the association said. 

Larsen's mandate also is to position the association and its members at the forefront of a supply chain that is faster, more transparent and more resilient, IFPA said. Drawing on a background rooted in information technology and operations, Larsen brings a data-first lens to challenges that have long defined the industry. 

"The supply chain of the future starts with data," said Larsen. "Being able to share data between trading partners throughout the supply chain, building trust and improving visibility — those are the things we really need to work on, along with developing standards. The real value this brings to our membership is increased consumer trust, greater profitability through reduced waste and a positive impact on sustainability." 

Turning FSMA 204 into an Industry Opportunity 

Central to Larsen's work is helping members navigate FSMA 204, the FDA's food traceability rule and the latest iteration of a modernization effort that traces back to the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 and the Produce Traceability Initiative, according to the association. While enforcement has been extended to January 2028, IFPA said Larsen is clear that the urgency has not diminished. 

"Even though the enforcement date has been pushed back, the leading retailers have been busy planning for compliance, recognizing that this is a significant operational challenge that needs to be carefully implemented without significantly affecting operations, " Larsen said. "Our supply community is becoming more aware of this and now realizing the urgency around it." 

Larsen frames the digitization at the heart of FSMA 204 as a competitive advantage rather than a compliance burden, IFPA said.

The Business Case for Traceability 

For Larsen, traceability is ultimately a business story, not just a food-safety one, said the association. "From a business standpoint, it's about reducing the scope of a recall," Larsen said. "If you have effective traceability in place, you can say confidently, 'we only need to recall this amount of produce' — not what we're doing today. That is going to be a huge return on investment for the industry." 

He points to solutions such as the Warehouse Management System lot probability model as pragmatic stepping stones toward 100% accurate traceability: imperfect, but a meaningful move in the right direction for an industry operating on notoriously thin margins, IFPA said. 

A Broader Vision 

According to the association, Larsen sees traceability, industry collaboration, data standards and supply-chain visibility as connective tissue across IFPA's work, intersecting with sustainability, packaging, government relations, food safety and education. A particular priority is ensuring that mid-to-small growers can continue to trade profitably as new technology and policy reshape the industry, said IFPA. 

"This is about aligning closely with our member expectations," Larsen said. "New technologies and policy are moving quickly, and it's important that we're moving forward with them, together."