On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, Western Growers’ Jeana Cadby and Isa Glassen joined Taylor Farms’ Wyatt Maysey and Ag Innovations’ Robert Gould for a breakout session on “Sustainable Packaging for Fresh Produce: Industry Alliance and Roadmap” at the Sustainable Agriculture Summit in Anaheim. The Summit is a leading annual gathering for farmers, suppliers, processors, brands, academia and conservation and public sector organizations working to build a more resilient and sustainable U.S. food system. Its focus on knowledge-sharing, emerging challenges and collaborative solutions make it an ideal venue to highlight the industry’s progress on sustainable packaging.
During the session, we dug into the core challenges driving packaging decisions in fresh produce: food loss and waste, food safety and regulatory pressures, changing retailer expectations, the need for packaging functionality, supply chain realities and the environmental impacts tied to upstream materials and end-of-life options. We introduced the Sustainable Produce Packaging Alignment (SPPA) initiative and its roadmap for aligning functionality requirements with sustainability outcomes.
Using live Slido polling, we engaged attendees on packaging trends, tradeoff management and the considerations they believe matter most, from recyclability and compostability to performance, availability and cost. This interactive format helped highlight where supply chain partners are aligned and where additional work is needed to support industry-wide improvements.
Functional sustainability is a central theme of the discussion. Packaging must simultaneously protect produce, uphold food safety and prevent food waste while also reducing material impacts, so it’s important that we understand and work toward balancing these tradeoffs. Across the room, growers, shippers, retailers and packaging suppliers expressed a strong desire for alignment through clear, practical guidance rooted in technical performance and real-world feasibility.
Collaboration is a key component in advancing these efforts. Bringing diverse supply-chain voices together helps bridge expectations, highlight shared priorities and welcome new partners into the SPPA effort. We believe road mapping is a valuable, structured approach that can provide a common path for responsible decision-making across the industry. Presentations like this illustrate why cross-sector alignment is essential and reinforce how SPPA is uniquely positioned to advance scientifically sound, achievable and sustainable packaging guidelines for the fresh produce industry.
Our industry is facing complex and costly challenges from new provincial Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations for packaging. To understand the full impact of Canadian EPR programs on our sector, Western Growers is collaborating with the Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA) to conduct a comprehensive survey.
A Collaborative Effort for a Deeper Understanding
Your participation is crucial. The data gathered from this survey will be shared among all participating associations, including our own. This collaborative approach will give us a much deeper, industry-wide understanding of the financial and operational burdens our members are facing.
This collective data will strengthen our advocacy efforts and help us develop the practical resources you need to navigate these new rules.
Who Should Respond?
We need to hear from everyone. Whether your company is a:
Directly Obligated Producer (legally responsible for reporting and paying fees); or
A Supplier, Grower or Partner (experiencing indirect impacts, such as new data requests or costs passed on by customers).
The survey is open until Dec. 31, 2025, and takes approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. All individual responses will be kept strictly confidential and will only be reported in an aggregated, anonymized format.
Thank you for lending your voice to this critical industry initiative.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and allied business groups, including Western Growers, are challenging California’s climate disclosure laws, SB 261 and SB 253. On November 18, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction blocking enforcement of SB 261, which was scheduled to take effect on January 1. As a result, SB 261 cannot be enforced while our appeal is pending. The court declined to enjoin SB 253 at this stage, likely because its operative requirements do not take effect until later in the year, if not beyond.
SB 261 would require large companies that “do business in California” to prepare and post detailed reports describing “climate-related financial risks” and how they are managing those risks. SB 253 would require covered companies to calculate and publicly report their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions according to state-prescribed methodologies. While the appeal is pending, California may not enforce SB 261, but SB 253 remains in effect unless and until a higher court says otherwise.
In parallel, the plaintiffs, including Western Growers, have filed an emergency application with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking an injunction that would bar enforcement of both SB 261 and SB 253 against our members while the case proceeds. We will continue to update members as the Ninth Circuit appeal and Supreme Court application move forward and as the compliance picture for these laws becomes clearer.
California’s SB 553 introduced a significant new requirement for employers: the implementation of a comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP). The WVPP must develop, maintain, and train employees on procedures designed to recognize, prevent, and respond to workplace violence incidents.
One crucial aspect of SB 553 is its emphasis on employee training. Employers are required to provide initial and annual training to all employees, including supervisors and managers. This training must cover the elements of the employer’s WVPP, how to identify warning signs, appropriate reporting procedures, and steps to take if violence occurs. Importantly, the law mandates interactive training that allows employees to ask questions and receive answers in real time, ensuring true understanding and engagement.
Employers should prioritize the development of an effective WVPP training program, as non-compliance can result in citations and penalties. It’s also vital to keep detailed records of all training content and attendance to demonstrate compliance with SB 553 and California’s newly passed SB 513i. By investing in meaningful training, employers not only meet legal obligations but also foster a safer and more supportive workplace culture.
Ready to take the next step in getting your training program underway? Join Western Growers Learning and Development Manager, Priscila Cisneros at the 45th Annual Agricultural Personnel Management Association (APMA) Forum, February 4-6, 2026, in Monterey, CA for a Workplace Violence Prevention: Train the Trainer session. Learn how to deliver impactful workplace violence prevention training and ensure your organization is compliant. Don’t miss this opportunity to empower your team and safeguard your workplace—register today!
California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) allows employees to sue on behalf of themselves and others for Labor Code violations. In 2024, hard-fought reforms tightened standing requirements, requiring plaintiffs to show at least one Labor Code violation within the past year. Despite these changes, courts still face disputes over non-individual PAGA claims – representative actions brought without an accompanying individual claim.
Non-individual PAGA claims arise when plaintiffs either dismiss or resolve their individual claims through arbitration but continue to pursue actions solely on behalf of other employees. This approach gained traction following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Viking River Cruises decision, which permitted arbitration of individual PAGA claims yet left unresolved questions regarding the treatment of representative—or non-individual—claims. In response, plaintiffs began filing these non-individual PAGA claims as a means of sidesteping arbitration, leading to divergent rulings among California courts.
Numerous conflicting court decisions have created uncertainty regarding the viability of non-individual PAGA claims. Some courts have allowed representative claims to proceed even when plaintiffs have dismissed or arbitrated their individual claims, reasoning that standing does not depend on maintaining an individual claim. Conversely, other courts have determined that once an individual claim is resolved through arbitration, any related representative action must also be dismissed.
More recent decisions have reinforced the need for plaintiffs to demonstrate at least one timely Labor Code violation to pursue a PAGA claim, while certain rulings have permitted non-individual representative claims only for cases initiated before the 2024 reforms.
While the status of these cases remains unsettled, a resolution is expected when the California Supreme Court addresses the issue in Leeper v. Shipt, Inc. in early 2026. Many observers anticipate that the Court will favor legislative reforms, likely requiring plaintiffs to maintain an individual claim in order to be able to move forward with representative actions, offering hope for greater clarity and reduced litigation risk for employers.
Narrower Standing Reduces Frivolous Lawsuits. Employers and defense lawyers report they are now routinely knocking out claims early by proving the plaintiff didn’t experience certain violations, dramatically shrinking exposure. Claims are resolved faster and for less money because legal disputes are narrower and more manageable.
More Money & Faster Resolution for Employees. PAGA reforms increased the employee share of penalties from 25% to 35%, with the state receiving 65%. The early resolution process through the state’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) also limits the need for extended and costly litigation.
Employers Doubling Down on Compliance Efforts. Employers are doubling down on their compliance efforts, conducting audits more frequently, training managers and updating policies proactively.
Reduced Penalties for Employers. Reduced penalties now balance fairness and enforcement. Defense firms report significantly reduced penalties on employers because of the PAGA reforms.
One-Year Limitations Period. PAGA reforms clarified standing law that a plaintiff must have experienced a violation within the past year to bring a claim.
Ability to Limit the Scope of Claims and Evidence to Ensure Manageability. Courts now have explicit authority to limit the evidence to be presented at trial or otherwise limit the scope of a PAGA claim to ensure cases remain manageable for trial.
Western Growers is proud to have played a leading role in pushing the 2024 PAGA reforms. It’s encouraging to see the legislative improvements working as intended.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the residue tolerances for Isocycloseram, a novel insecticidal active ingredient (IRAC Group 30), to include brassica crops, including cabbage, broccoli and kale.
The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) registration is still pending. California is a major producer of brassicas and other specialty vegetables, and growers have been in dire need for pest control solutions to support with resistance and significant economic and pest damage pressures over the past few years.
A significant challenge for brassica growers is the diamondback moth (DBM) and developed resistance to many existing pest control tools, making control difficult and costly. Isocycloseram is a new broad-spectrum insecticide in the isoxazolines chemical class, which have an insecticidal mode of action based on allosteric modulation of the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor.
Washington, D.C. (November 19, 2025)-The steering committee for the Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC), a broad-based coalition of ag groups seeking meaningful, long-term labor reform, unanimously elected American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and Western Growers President & CEO Dave Puglia as the new Co-Chairs of the coalition.
They succeed Chuck Conner, who retired earlier this year as CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives.
“I’m humbled to be asked to serve as co-chair for the Ag Workforce Coalition,” said Duvall. “Chuck Conner helped bring agriculture together to make the AWC into the leading voice on agricultural labor policy in Washington, and we look forward to building on that foundation as we press for practical, bipartisan solutions to address the workforce crisis facing our family farms.”
“I’m honored to have been selected by peers to serve as Co-Chair of the Agriculture Workforce Coalition alongside Zippy Duvall,” Puglia said. “American agriculture, although a resilient industry, continues to face mounting pressures that cannot be economically sustained. Chief among these is the chronic and worsening labor situation. No one wants to see more American food production forced to shift to foreign countries, but that is one of the consequences of the failure of Congress to confront this crisis. As a coalition, we have worked to secure important recent improvements to ag labor programs through regulation, but now more than ever we must work together to persuade Congress to pass legislation that will stabilize and protect the sustainability of America’s farmers and ranchers in every region. I know Zippy is fully committed to this objective as well, and I am grateful that he has stepped forward to lead this important coalition.”
The new Co-Chairs and AWC will continue to advocate for:
A workable, market-based guestworker program that reflects the year-round and seasonal needs of U.S. agriculture
Reforms to wage and regulatory requirements that protect workers while ensuring the continued viability of farm and ranch operations
A fair, practical process to provide stability and certainty for experienced farmworkers already contributing to U.S. agriculture.
About the AWC
The Agriculture Workforce Coalition (AWC) brings together organizations representing the diverse needs of agricultural employers across the country. AWC serves as the unified voice of agriculture in the effort to ensure that America’s farmers, ranchers and growers have access to a stable and secure workforce now and in the future.
The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is holding two upcoming working group sessions for the Second Statewide Agricultural Expert Panel. The Panel will be discussing, evaluating and taking testimony regarding – among other regulatory issues – appropriate amounts of nitrate applications per crop and whether the state water board should establish formal limits.
These discussions will directly impact farming operations and future regulatory requirements. Farmers are strongly encouraged to participate and share input during these important meetings.
Do you ever feel weighed down by too many audits? We want to hear from you.
Western Growers is inviting fresh produce member companies to participate in a survey on audit fatigue. The survey explores issues fresh produce companies face every day when complying with buyer and regulatory food safety and sustainability programs.
Our goal is to identify inconsistent and redundant food safety and sustainability program requirements and to work with buyers and others on solutions. Please share the survey link with your food safety and sustainability personnel and encourage them to complete the survey by December 12th.
As a token of appreciation, everyone who completes the survey will have the chance to enter a raffle to win one of five $100 Amazon gift cards.
Thank you for helping us advance Western Growers’ food safety and sustainability initiatives! Please reach out to Sonia Salas at [email protected] with any questions.
The Arizona Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement (LGMA) is offering two upcoming in-person training sessions on cleaning and sanitizing harvest equipment, available in both English and Spanish. The sessions will take place at the Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture (YCEDA):
Join Western Growers Science for a session focused on fresh produce recall readiness and the evolving landscape of recall insurance.
In this webinar, we’ll highlight the most common gaps and barriers our featured speakers continue to see when companies implement recall programs. They’ll also walk through practical solutions to help overcome these challenges and strengthen overall recall preparedness.
In addition, we’ll discuss how recall insurance has evolved, and what companies should consider today to help minimize the financial and operational impacts of recall-related events. This session will provide actionable insights you can apply immediately to enhance both your recall strategy and your risk management approach.
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. PT
Location: Online via Zoom
With competing demands and constant workplace disruptions, your team looks to you for direction, guidance, and inspiration. In this session, you’ll discover proven techniques to coach your team more effectively and help employees move from feeling threatened to challenged and fulfilled. Learn how to maximize your coaching style, address performance gaps, and build a more competent and efficient workforce. You’ll also gain tools to ask guided questions, provide constructive feedback, and create a learning environment where employees can thrive and contribute to organizational success.
Why Attend?
Gain practical tools to manage employee performance effectively.
Strengthen your coaching and feedback skills.
Address performance challenges in a constructive, growth-focused way.
Build a culture of learning and accountability in your organization.
Webinar Details
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
9:00am – 10:30am PST
Online via Zoom
Join the Western Growers Women Program on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, for a one-hour session focused on practical steps to prepare your company for public-facing challenges.
Ann Donahue, Western Growers Director of Marketing and Communications, walks you through the steps you can take to prepare your company to publicly respond to an unexpected event. Scenarios will include dealing with trespassing TV crews; reporters seeking comment on a story with a negative angle; and emergency response. Handouts will be provided for future guidance.
Event Details:
Date: Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM PT
Location: Online via Zoom
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Board), is currently considering comments, feedback, suggestions and recommendations from California employers and labor representatives on the topic of further revisions to the state’s Workplace Violence Prevention Plan law (SB 553).
As discussed here, SB 533 requires the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) to propose a workplace violence prevention standard by December 31, 2025, and adopt a standard no later than December 31, 2026. On November 13, 2025, an advisory committee to the Board met to discuss several issues relating to proposed revisions to a draft regulation. Issues discussed included exceptions for smaller employers, various definitions including but not limited to the definition of “workplace violence hazards” and “employee representative.”
The Board is expected to review the feedback provided by the advisory committee and issue a revised draft regulation in early 2026. Western Growers will continue to monitor Board developments and provide updates as they are announced.
In the recent case of Gurganus v. IGS Solutions, LLC, (Gurganus) California once again reminds employers that to be enforceable; arbitration agreements must be both procedurally and substantively fair. The central issue in Gurganus was whether the arbitration agreement between Gurganus and her employer was enforceable. Specifically, the court examined if the agreement was unconscionable—both procedurally (how it was presented and signed) and substantively (the fairness of its terms)—and whether any problematic provisions could be severed to salvage the agreement.
The Facts
About five months into her employment, Gurganus was asked to electronically sign several new documents, including an arbitration agreement, a voluntary dispute resolution policy, and a confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement (CND). The terms of the arbitration agreement required most employment-related disputes to be resolved by arbitration, excluding certain claims (like those seeking injunctive relief for confidential information) from arbitration. It also included a confidentiality provision restricting disclosure of arbitration-related information. The CND allowed the employer to enforce its terms in court and permitted the company to seek injunctive relief without posting a bond or proving actual damages.
After her employment ended, Gurganus sued her employer for various employment law violations. The employer moved to compel arbitration, arguing that the agreement was enforceable, and any unconscionable provisions could be severed. The trial court found the arbitration agreement, and CND were presented as a package, and together, they lacked mutuality—forcing employee claims into arbitration while allowing the employer claims to go to court. The confidentiality provision further disadvantaged employees by restricting informal discovery.
The Court’s Decision
Ultimately, the California Court of Appeal affirmed the trial court’s decision finding:
Unconscionability: The arbitration agreement was both procedurally and substantively unconscionable. It was a contract of adhesion, presented to an existing employee as a condition of continued employment, and contained terms that unfairly favored the employer.
No Severance: Because multiple provisions of the agreement were unconscionable, the court declined to sever them, finding the agreement “permeated by unconscionability.”
What Does It Mean?
The Gurganus case highlights the risks of arbitration agreements that are presented to employees without meaningful negotiation and that contain terms favoring the employer, such as excluding employer claims from arbitration or imposing broad confidentiality restrictions. Courts will closely scrutinize such agreements, especially when they are presented as a package with other employment documents and lack mutuality.
To help lower the risks associated with arbitration agreements, employers should consider the following:
Ensure Mutuality: Arbitration agreements should apply equally to both employer and employee claims. For example, avoid carve-outs or exceptions that allow only the employer to go to court for certain disputes.
Avoid Overly Broad Confidentiality Provisions: Confidentiality clauses should not restrict an employees’ ability to gather evidence or contact witnesses outside a formal discovery process.
Review Severability Clauses: While the ability to sever certain contractual provisions if they are found to be unlawful or unconscionable can help, the inclusion of multiple unconscionable or unlawful provisions may ultimately render the entire agreement unenforceable.
Effective January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 59 (SB 59) reinforces California’s commitment to safeguarding employee privacy by imposing stricter requirements on employers to ensure that any medical information obtained in the course of employment is kept strictly confidential and used only for legitimate business purposes.
What Does it Mean
Maintaining confidentiality is mandatory under SB 59, meaning that medical details—such as health conditions, treatment records, or related documentation—cannot be disclosed except in limited circumstances specifically authorized by law, such as compliance with subpoenas, benefit administration, or workers’ compensation claims. For any other disclosure of medical information, the employee’s explicit written authorization is required. Importantly, SB 59 aligns with existing laws like the ADA, FMLA, and HIPAA by reinforcing that employers must store and handle medical records securely and restrict access solely to individuals with a legitimate need to know.
Ahead of the January 1, 2026 effective date, employers should consider the follow next steps:
Review and update internal policies to reflect SB 59’s confidentiality requirements.
Train HR and management teams to ensure the proper handling of medical information.
Audit current recordkeeping practices to ensure compliance before the law takes effect.
Stay ahead of the curve with the latest developments in employment law. The Western Growers Legal Update for 2026 webinar will help HR professionals navigate recent changes in employment law, compliance requirements and case law trends.
Join Teresa McQueen, Corporate Counsel III at Western Growers, as she breaks down what’s new and how these changes may impact your HR policies and workplace practices.
Developed by the Western Growers Science team in collaboration with Creme Global, this guide provides a beginner-friendly introduction to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Whether you’re completely new to these topics or simply curious about how they apply to agriculture, food safety or everyday problem solving, this resource offers a clear overview of the core concepts, common types of AI and how these technologies are already being used in real-world scenarios.
Beyond explaining the basics, the guide also highlights the growing impact and potential of AI. Its goal is to help you build a practical understanding of how AI and ML can be valuable tools in your work.
Walt Duflock, SVP of Innovation at Western Growers, Devon Wright, Co-Founder, Lumo, and Neill Callis, GM, Turlock Fruit Company
SAN DIEGO (Nov. 11, 2025) – Lumo was selected as the Audience Choice Award winner during the AgSharks® Pitch Competition at the 2025 Western Growers Annual Meeting.
The finalists were:
DriftSense gives growers field-scale, hourly-resolved 10-day spray plans so they can use less chemistry, avoid drift and protect yields.
Lumo helps growers irrigate to plan with block-level precision.
Mapana analyzes plant systems for fertilizer and mineral intake and provides input recommendations and tracks soil health.
TRIC Robotics helps farmers control pests and disease with ultraviolet light as a replacement for chemical pesticides.
“We changed up AgSharks® at this year’s Annual Meeting in response to industry need – there are more good ideas than ever and startups need to get their technologies field tested by the produce industry,” said Walt Duflock, SVP of Innovation at Western Growers. “On behalf of all of us looking for solutions to the labor crisis in agriculture, I want to thank our judges for putting our finalists through the wringer.”
The competition was hosted by WG Board Treasurer Neill Callis, General Manager, Turlock Fruit Company;the investors were Danny Bernstein, CEO and Managing Partner of Reservoir VC; Robert Grey, Director, Food & Beverage, Plug and Play;and Rob Trice, Founding Partner, Better Food Ventures; the panel’s grower representative was WG Board Member Kristen Smith Eshaya, President, JV Smith Cos.
The four startups pitched their inventions in front of an audience of more than 300 fresh produce farmers and industry leaders during the 99th WG Annual Meeting, held in San Diego on Nov. 9-12, 2025.
