United Fresh President Tom Stenzel discussed regulatory, food safety and market challenges in the North American market with more than 300 delegates at the Southern Hemisphere Congress, sponsored by Eurofruit Magazine this week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The annual conference moves each year within the major production regions of the Southern Hemisphere, bringing together market leaders from Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other countries doing business with producers and exporters from these regions. “Our global world is truly growing closer together, as the issues drawing the most questions in Argentina were the same as those United Fresh is addressing every day. The entire supply chain is grappling with food safety certification and proliferating audit schemes, ways to improve product delivery to consumers while holding down costs, and the critical need to grow fresh produce consumption worldwide,” Stenzel said. Following the merger of the International Fresh-cut Produce Association and United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Association, United Fresh has increased its outreach to the international produce community, helping its current members in 27 countries attack these challenges and developing new international educational opportunities, such as its collaboration with the FRESHCONEX Congress at Fruit Logistica in Berlin in February 2008. For more information, contact Jerry Welcome.