PMA Doubles Down on Sustainability, Promotes VP Ed Treacy

In tandem with its focus on sustainability to help create a healthier world, the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) has expanded the duties of VP of Supply Chain and Sustainability Ed Treacy.

As the Newark, Del.-based trade association’s resident expert in developing supply chain practices for nearly 10 years, Treacy will take on the additional duties of leading the fresh produce and floral industry in mobilizing a shared definition of sustainability. In turn, PMA is seeking to impart a greater understanding of trends, information, resources and best practices; in doing so, it said it will be better equipped to showcase the floral and produce industry’s increasingly innovative stance with sustainability. 

“We ultimately see sustainability as the responsibility for the entire supply chain,” said Bob Whitaker, chief science and technology officer for PMA. “There’s no one who has a better grasp on all of the intricacies and opportunities within the floral and produce supply chains than Ed. He is a relentless advocate for our industry in a variety of important places, and I am thrilled that he will be leading PMA’s efforts as we become a resource for our industry around sustainability.”

As part of his existing responsibilities, Treacy monitors and forecasts trends related to supply chain efficiencies and presides over services and educational events for PMA members. He also serves as staff lead and technical consultant for the industrywide Produce Traceability Initiative and leads all data standardization initiatives for the association as well.

Key to his expanded duties is oversight of a new Sustainability Committee PMA formed to bring together industry leaders to identify trends, information, resources and best practices so industry members can apply them to their business both domestically and globally.

PMA’s Sustainability Committee is chaired by John Chamberlain, VP of global marketing for Limoneira Co. With more than 25 years of marketing, brand development and communications experience with global multinationals, 14 of which have been with Limoneira, Chamberlain “is not a sustainability guy, so to speak,” said Treacy. “His role is in marketing. It was so important that he was involved because his talent and instinct for telling the industry’s story through marketing is exactly what we need. There is already so much happening as it relates to sustainability in our industry. It’s our goal to uncover these stories and share them, within our industry and beyond it. We are, first and foremost, stewards of the land and know better than anyone how to sustain it. It’s my goal to make sure that the world knows about the great work we do in our industry and, in doing so, inspire more great work.”