Growing Together 2027: Knowledge, Collaboration, and the Future of Agriculture

Sweet Seasons, together with sister company Sweeter Exportadora, gather growers in Mexico for their annual industry-leading event.

Agriculture is changing. Markets are evolving, consumers increasingly want to understand where their food comes from, and new commercial, technological, and regulatory expectations are transforming the way fruits and vegetables are grown and marketed.

In this environment, one tool is becoming more important than ever: knowledge.

With this vision, Sweet Seasons celebrated the second edition of Creciendo Juntos 2027 (CJ27), an event created to bring together growers, industry experts, business partners, and new generations of agricultural professionals to exchange experiences, share knowledge, and discuss the future of our industry.

What began in 2026 as an initiative to become closer to our growers is now developing into a community united by shared challenges, new opportunities, and, above all, a commitment to continue growing together.

Knowledge to Keep Growing

José Antonio Bernal, Business Development Manager at Sweet Seasons, welcomed attendees by recalling one of the most important lessons from the first edition: when we create a space to listen, ask questions, and share knowledge, the entire supply chain becomes stronger.

That idea set the direction for CJ27.

The first conference was led by Joe Arevalo & Associates, who addressed KYC, compliance, and due diligence within today’s business environment.

Knowing the people and organizations within our value chain, properly documenting processes, and strengthening compliance practices contribute to more solid, transparent, and lasting business relationships. In an increasingly interconnected industry, growth also means operating with integrity and building the trust needed to open new opportunities.

Ricardo Hernandez then explored another fundamental pillar of modern agriculture: quality, food safety, and agricultural certifications, including standards such as PrimusGFS and SMETA.

Growing a quality product remains essential, but today it is equally important to protect every stage of the process and maintain standards that safeguard product integrity, meet customer expectations, and allow growers to compete in some of the world’s most important markets.

Connecting Agriculture with New Generations

Creciendo Juntos also seeks to open new horizons for those who will help shape the future of our industry in Mexico, the U.S. and beyond.

During CJ27, we were pleased to welcome representatives from the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG), including its Corporate Partnerships coordinators, with whom Sweet Seasons is currently working on a collaboration agreement to implement SEED, our talent development program.

We were also joined by the coordinator and students from the Agricultural Business Engineering program.

Bringing students closer to growers, specialists, and companies gives them an opportunity to experience firsthand the challenges and possibilities within agriculture. At the same time, it creates a space for new ideas, knowledge, and perspectives to become part of an industry that must continue evolving.

Building bridges between universities, businesses, and the field is another way of planting opportunities for those who will continue transforming our industry in the years ahead.

When a Conversation Becomes an Opportunity

One of the most meaningful moments of the day came during the participation of Dayana Torres, Supply Manager at Sweeter, who shared some of the results generated following Creciendo Juntos 2026.

Over the past year, more than 80 growers decided to begin working with Sweet Seasons as a result of that first gathering.

Beyond the number, every new relationship represents an opportunity for a grower, a family, a team, and a community.

New marketing channels can provide greater certainty for a crop, create opportunities for expansion, and develop business relationships capable of continuing across multiple seasons.

That is precisely the kind of impact we want to create: for something that begins as a conversation to become a tangible opportunity for the communities that sustain our supply chain.

To Work Together, We Must First Listen

Knowledge cannot travel in only one direction.

That is why SS Escucha returned for CJ27, providing a forum where the Sweet Seasons leadership team sat down with growers to answer their questions directly, hear their concerns, and discuss the challenges they currently face.

Because building long-term relationships requires more than talking.

It requires listening.

Understanding what is happening in the fields, the challenges our growers face, and what we can improve as a company allows us to find better solutions through collaboration.

Creciendo Juntos should also be a place where difficult questions can become constructive conversations and where growers and businesses can move forward with a shared vision.

Working with Nature

The keynote conference at CJ27 was delivered by Eng. Enrique Garza Urbina with “Cerrando el 8,” a discussion on how beneficial wildlife and natural resources can become allies in protecting our fields.

His presentation invited us to look at agriculture from a broader perspective: not simply as the place where we grow our food, but as an ecosystem we must understand, respect, and preserve.

Finding ways to responsibly use available resources and recognizing the role nature itself can play in protecting crops can help us build an agricultural industry capable of producing today without losing sight of the generations that will work those same lands tomorrow.

From the Field to the Table

CJ27 also created an opportunity to directly connect those who grow our food in Mexico with those closer to the marketplace.

Nimesh Patel, Sales Director at FreshPoint, spoke about the importance of attending Creciendo Juntos personally, meeting growers, and visiting the fields where our supply chain begins.

From his perspective, he highlighted how the decisions and care taken in the field ultimately influence product quality and, eventually, customer satisfaction.

His participation helped bring the entire supply chain into perspective.

A product can begin in a Mexican field, travel hundreds or thousands of miles, pass through many hands, and eventually reach a family’s table. Behind that experience is the coordinated work of growers, quality teams, logistics professionals, marketers, distributors, and customers.

Patel also thanked Sweet Seasons for the invitation and highlighted the relationship between both organizations, built around a shared purpose: continuing to move the fresh produce industry forward and bringing quality products to more people.

Growing Together Continues

Jovanni Bernal, Sales Director at Sweet Seasons, closed CJ27 with an invitation: that the learning from this day should not end when we leave the event.

Markets will continue to change. New regulations, technologies, tools, and ways of growing will emerge. That is why we must continue learning, asking questions, sharing experiences, and preparing ourselves for the opportunities ahead.

That is what we seek to build through Creciendo Juntos.

A community where knowledge helps people grow; where we can open new horizons for our growers and future generations; where opportunities strengthen communities; where relationships are built on trust, collaboration, and integrity; and where growth never means forgetting our responsibility to the land.

Because at the end of that journey lies what gives meaning to the work of our entire supply chain: bringing fresh, quality food from the field to the table, creating well-being and moments that can be enjoyed and shared.

For Sweet Seasons, it all begins there.

By caring for the land. By helping people grow. By strengthening communities. By opening new opportunities. By doing things the right way. And by sharing the fruits of that collective effort with the world.

That is Creciendo Juntos.

That is Nourish The World.

See you at Creciendo Juntos 2028.