Though the worst of the coronavirus appears to be in the rearview mirror, concern about rising costs is a new factor causing the average U.S. consumer to continue to eat more meals at home.

At least that was one of the takeaways from an International Fresh Produce Association webinar titled “Retail Supply Chain, Inflation and Consumer Demand," which was held on Wednesday, Feb. 23.

As Mexico began its 2022 mango season in January with shipments of the yellow-fleshed Ataulfo variety, U.S. importers were greeted with a strong market. That market generally saw mangos trading at an excellent price, nearing double-digits for the standard four-kilogram carton. Veteran industry observers are predicting that the market will remain relatively strong through at least mid-March with promotable volume coming into play around April 1.

Whole Foods Market opened its store in Washington, DC’s, Glover Park neighborhood on Wednesday, Feb. 23. The 21,500-square-foot store offers a wide variety of local products, all hand-selected by Whole Foods Market Mid Atlantic’s Local Forager Kathleen Leverenz. This store is the first of two Whole Foods Market locations expected to open this year that feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.

The Southeast Produce Council will celebrate the next generation of superheroes the first week in March at its annual conference and trade show, better known as Southern Exposure.

Equitable Food Initiative, the workforce development and certification organization that partners with growers, farmworkers, retailers and consumer advocacy groups, recently published findings of an eight-month survey highlighting the challenges Mexican farmworkers face when they are recruited and deployed to work.

At a time when retailers call for a safer and more consistent source of leafy greens, Revol Greens brings on a new vice president of food safety to navigate distribution, particularly in a food supply chain fraught with continued challenges. Having officially joined the team Feb. 21, Dinesh Babu brings a Ph.D. in food safety and more than 15 years in food science and food-safety experience.