Vonnie Estes is vice president of innovation & market integration at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA), where she leads industry initiatives that accelerate adoption of emerging technologies across the fresh produce supply chain.
Her work focuses on connecting innovation with real-world agricultural challenges, including labor shortages, supply chain efficiency, sustainability and regulatory change. She works with growers, technology companies, researchers and policymakers to advance adoption of technologies such as advanced plant breeding and gene editing, artificial intelligence and data systems, automation and robotics, and sustainable packaging solutions.
Estes leads IFPA’s Packaging Innovation Program and hosts the Fresh Takes on Tech podcast, which features founders, scientists, investors and executives discussing the technologies shaping the future of agriculture and food.
Her career spans more than 30 years across multinational agriculture companies, including Monsanto, Syngenta and DuPont, as well as venture-backed startups and industry organizations focused on translating scientific innovation into practical commercial use.
Estes holds a bachelor’s in horticulture from New Mexico State University and a master’s in plant pathology from the University of California, Davis. She received the Rosalind Franklin Award from the Biotechnology Innovation Organization for leadership in industrial biotechnology.