This week marks the one-year anniversary of Save Mart Cos. recognizing and compensating its frontline store and distribution center employees with weekly hazard pay and other COVID-19 related benefits without interruption, continuing its “Employees First” commitment and prioritizing their safety and well-being.

As vaccinations continue to ramp up around the country, and as more and more areas of the country take steps to reopen safely, the New England Produce Council Inc. announced March 19 a couple of key changes to its 2021 schedule.

Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. Inc. has today announced that it will now be able to offer its customers longer lasting avocados through a partnership with Apeel. When paired with Fresh Del Monte’s high-quality avocados, Apeel’s innovation will allow them to stay fresher two times longer, helping to reduce food waste. With an infrastructure already in place to help support growth in the category, Fresh Del Monte’s new and existing customers will now be able to partner with the brand on their Apeel application.

Empire Co. Ltd., parent company of Sobeys, Foodland, FreshCo, Farm Boy and Voilà, has signed an agreement to purchase 51 percent of Longo’s and the Grocery Gateway e-commerce business for $357 million — based on a total enterprise value of $700 million. Longo's is a long-standing, family-built network of specialty grocery stores in the GTA of Ontario. The transaction structure allows Empire to achieve 100 percent ownership of Longo’s over time.

The House of Representatives approved the Farm Workforce Modernization Act by a vote of  247 to 174. This marks the second time in the last two years the House has taken action on this important legislation.

Avocados From Mexico launched Avocado Nation Studios, the latest digital innovation from AFM that employs data intelligence to offer predictions, recommendations and personalized content tailored to each viewer. Featuring exclusive videos created by a network of content creators, the platform provides fresh and fun ways to engage with the brand.