Lance Jungmeyer, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

Lance Jungmeyer is president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas (FPAA) BB #:144354 in Nogales, AZ. The organization’s location is as pivotal as its mission: to represent and advocate for North American fruit and vegetable importers.

In a time of economic and geopolitical turmoil, we asked Lance about FPAA’s top concerns for 2026 and what to expect in the coming months.

Q: Tell us about your background, education, and early career aspirations.    

I grew up in a small town in Missouri, working on the family farm (corn, soy, cattle) during my spare time. I majored in journalism at the University of Missouri, the oldest journalism school in the world.

I thought I was going to change the world, and in some ways I have, just in different ways than I thought I might.

Spending 13 years at The Packer newspaper, rising to Editor in Chief, I had the opportunity to travel the United States and the world observing fresh produce companies and markets. It was eye-opening to say the least and laid the groundwork for my current position as president of the FPAA.

I thought I was going to change the world, and in some ways I have, just in different ways than I thought I might.

Q: How did you find your way to FPAA?

In 2010, a former colleague suggested I apply for the FPAA president job. I told him he was crazy and why would they hire a journalist? But after some thought I gave it a whirl.

Q: How did your career up to that point prepare you for leading the organization?

Maybe no one remembers, but I launched www.thepackerenespanol.com, the first produce-specific B2B publication for the Mexican produce industry. It’s long gone. It was so far ahead of its time, it was hard to commercialize.

But I spent a lot of time visiting farms in Mexico, markets in Guadalajara and Mexico City, learning about the primary issues affecting the industry.

Also, I had visited Nogales several times, and been to the FPAA annual convention a few times. Back then the big party was across the border in Mexico at La Roca, and it was quite an event. This was a different age.

When I learned about the position I called some good contacts who had previously chaired the organization and they encouraged me to apply. Going from journalism to the association world I relied on some of the same skills: listening, finding the middle ground, and communicating how to move forward.

Q: How would you characterize your leadership style?

My style is to hire good people, train them, and expect them to be outstanding in what they do. I give them latitude to develop their own style, under my framework. It’s a combo of hands-on, hands-off.

My philosophy is: if you’re not always improving, you’re limiting yourself and, in fact, you’re falling behind. So, self-initiative is important.

My philosophy is: if you’re not always improving, you’re limiting yourself and, in fact, you’re falling behind.

Q: What’s the most difficult part of your job? The most enjoyable?

Every day is a new challenge. That’s the difficult part and also makes it enjoyable—to a degree!

In fresh produce, we’ve seen more change in the past couple of years than most people can comprehend. This includes tariffs, duties, border closures, etc.

Q: Tell us about an average week or month. How much time do you spend with member businesses? How often do you travel?

At FPAA, we have quite a few meetings on a weekly basis with our members, which keeps us grounded in what’s really important to them. The past few years has seen travel go off the charts, for evident reasons.

With renewal of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA), this is a crucial time. Traveling two to three times a month is routine these days, which makes giving attention to my family when I’m home very important as a work-life balance.

Q: What are the most common challenges faced by FPAA members?

The disruption from tariffs, tomato anti-dumping duties, and other changes in the U.S.-Mexico relationship have been, to put it mildly, a learning experience for FPAA members and buyers.

Members work very hard to fulfill their commitments to customers all while adapting to changing requirements and supply chain hiccups. Luckily, our members have a great track record meeting these challenges every day.

Q: Given your tenure at the helm, are today’s issues more acute than in previous years?

The issues are very specific, very complex, and they’re coming faster and faster.

Almost monthly we’re doing webinars for our members about the newest, most perplexing change. I’m speaking mostly of the vagaries of trade and customs law, plus the production/supply issues listed above.

With the recent conflict in the Middle East, it’s unclear how volumes will be impacted. Increases of 30 percent in fertilizer costs is difficult for the supply chain to digest.

The issues are very specific, very complex, and they’re coming faster and faster.

Q: What is most misunderstood about FPAA and its role in the industry?

Many people think we represent Mexican growers. That’s furthest from the truth—FPAA was founded in 1944 in Nogales, AZ to represent the interests of U.S.-based entrepreneurs who were importing and distributing produce from Mexico.

Our companies represent a major employment base along the Southwest border, and further inland. The produce distribution industry of Mexican produce generates about 50,000 jobs nationwide.

In the past five years, FPAA has shifted its membership focus from Arizona-specific to a national Southwest organization. This reflects the changes in the industry. To meet customer demand, some of our members operate in all three states of Texas, Arizona, and California.

Q: What do you consider the three most critical challenges facing the industry overall? What can be done?

Tariffs; input costs; pressure from buyers to keep costs down. There’s no easy answer for the convergence of these three issues. It truly is a transformative time and at FPAA we’re doing all we can to help companies understand this environment and to make decisions that help their business succeed.

Q: Tell us about SWIPE, how is this different than FPAA’s previous conferences?

Our members have created what I think is the most exciting commercial show in fresh produce. There’s no other show dedicated specifically to produce from Mexico, and it’s in an intimate setting in Arizona, in January, when the rest of the country is freezing. It’s among the first real trade shows in produce of the calendar year, after the holidays. It’s exciting on all counts.

Q: Coming off of this year’s SWIPE, how do you measure ROI for such a gathering?

Our goal is always to have attendees come away from the event with new and strengthened connections across the supply chain. When people say, “I had great conversations with people I needed to talk to, met new people, and I generated new business,” then SWIPE has worked.  

We also strive to have a 1:1 ratio of buyer attendees to exhibitors. This year we blew that out of the water with nearly 20 percent more buyers than exhibitors. Our exhibit floor is limited to keep high visibility for exhibitors, and we encourage companies to sign up early for SWIPE 2027.

Our over-arching goal for 2026 is to achieve a continuation of the USMCA trade agreement under the existing parameters.

Q: What are FPAA’s top goals for this year?

Our over-arching goal for 2026 is to achieve a continuation of the USMCA trade agreement under the existing parameters. This is important not only for us, but for most of U.S. agriculture.

Q: Tell us something about yourself few people in the industry know.

We have a small orchard at home, so I’m a minor, minor, minor specialty crop grower of apples, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and more black walnuts than I know what to do with.

The peach trees are only several years old and last year we had TWO peaches! This year it should be more. They were wonderful.

There really is nothing like growing your own fresh produce to give you a healthy respect for the great job produce companies do to ensure consumers have a steady supply of fruits and vegetables all year long.  

Q: What else would you like readers to know?

Be involved in your industry by participating in associations, going to Washington DC on lobbying days, contribute any way you can.

The benefits that come back to you are intangible but will add up to make you a very strong team player in the produce industry. We’re all on the same team to get more people to eat more produce.