International Blueberry Organization

What International Blueberry Organization does

The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) is a private, membership-based global industry association headquartered in El Dorado Hills, California, that convenes producers, marketers, affiliated businesses, social groups, and governmental organizations across the global blueberry value chain. Founded by Cort Brazelton and led by President Mario Steta and Director Andrés Armstrong (who also serves as Executive Director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee), IBO's mission is to collect and disseminate industry information, foster worldwide blueberry consumption, and provide a unified consultative forum on international trade, regulatory, and production issues. The organization does not develop proprietary technology; instead, it aggregates member-contributed data covering 282,193 hectares of planted area and 2,150,610 MT of global production in 2024, and publishes it through the annual Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report, a Live Stats platform, an industry studies library, and an English/Spanish website.

IBO's product surface centers on knowledge and convening rather than software: flagship offerings include the rotating-country IBO Summit (hosted since 2014 across Mexico, Australia, Argentina-Uruguay, China, Canada, Peru, Poland, and South Africa), the annual Global State report, the Live Stats dashboards, an online industry library, a member newsletter, and member-only website access, complemented by a BlueCareers job board. Revenue mechanics are subscription-recurring via membership fees from producers, marketers, affiliated businesses, and government bodies, supplemented by event sponsorship; pricing is not publicly disclosed and member segments span primary producers and marketers/exporters as well as secondary affiliated businesses and government consultative participants. Go-to-market is community-led, leveraging summit presence, content syndication through industry publications (Fruitnet, FreshPlaza, Portal Fruticola), and strategic partnerships with national associations including USHBC, Proarándanos, Aneberries, Freshuelva, ANPM, Blueberries New Zealand, and HDC Zimbabwe.

Name

International Blueberry Organization

Legal name

International Blueberry Organization

Website

https://internationalblueberry.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Blueberry Organization is a private global industry association that convenes blueberry producers, marketers, affiliated businesses, and government bodies to share industry data, coordinate on trade and regulatory issues, and publish the annual Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report and rotating IBO Summit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Industry Association

NAICS

Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

Keywords

• Global blueberry association
• Industry market intelligence
• Trade policy advocacy
• Annual industry summit
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

El Dorado Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: IBO generates revenue through membership fees paid by blueberry producers, marketers, affiliated businesses, social groups, and governmental organizations worldwide. Membership provides access to exclusive content, the members-only section of the website, ability to submit news for publication, and participation in IBO Summits and working groups.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) is a global industry association that convenes blueberry producers, marketers, affiliated businesses, social groups, and governmental organizations. Its core deliverables are an annual Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report, an annual IBO Summit hosted in rotating countries, a live statistics platform, an online library of industry studies and summit presentations, a members-only newsletter, and a website publishing news and editorials in English and Spanish.

Product overview

The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) is a global industry association rather than a product company. Its offerings center on industry knowledge-sharing and professional development: the annual IBO Summit conferences provide networking and education; Global Blueberry Reports deliver market intelligence and analytics; Live Stats offer real-time industry data; the Library provides research resources; and Membership Services and Newsletter communications keep stakeholders informed. There are no software products, platforms, or modules in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IBO Summit Annual international blueberry industry conference bringing together producers, marketers, exporters, affiliated businesses, and government representatives from dozens of countries, hosted in rotating producing nations (e.g., South Africa 2025, Poland 2023, Peru 2021, Mexico 2014).

Quantifiable outcome

• IBO's annual Global State of the Blueberry Industry Report provides comprehensive data on 282,193 hectares planted, 2,150,610 MT global production (2024), and regional breakdowns across the Americas, Asia/Pacific, and EMEA.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• 16th International Aneberries Congress (Congresoberries, Guadalajara, Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2026The 16th International Aneberries Congress is held in Guadalajara, Mexico on July 29–30, bringing together key stakeholders from across the berry industry. With 16 years of experience, it is positioned as the leading business platform specialized in the berry sector in Mexico. IBO serves as a content and promotional partner, covering the event on its website and through its network.
• United Exports / OZblu (Host of OZblu Global Grower Conference 2026)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026United Exports hosted the OZblu Global Grower Conference 2026 in South Africa's Western Cape, bringing together more than 260 delegates from 36 countries. The conference featured IBO-relevant content on varietal development, agronomy, market insights, and global partnerships. United Exports is a member company of IBO. Pagoda Group (a major Chinese fruit retail company) was a keynote partner at the conference.
• Nación Berries 2026 (Bogotá Chamber of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2026Nación Berries 2026 is an industry conference organized by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce focused on consolidating Colombia as a regional hub for berries. IBO is a content partner, with IBO Director Andrés Armstrong delivering a keynote presentation on 'The roadmap to make berries a high-impact business in Colombia.' The event includes academic congress, trade exhibition, BerryTalks, BerryTour, and BerryMatch components.
• Fruitnet Berry CongresscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Fruitnet Berry Congress is an annual berry industry conference held in London. IBO President Mario Steta spoke at the 2026 edition, which brought together around 275 delegates from 20 countries. IBO content from the event was published as both news and an IBO Exclusive interview. BerryWorld was a sponsor of the Fruitnet Berry Congress.
• Andrés Armstrong (Director of IBO; Executive Director of Chilean Blueberry Committee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAndrés Armstrong serves in a dual leadership role as Director of the International Blueberry Organization and Executive Director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee. In this capacity, he provides strategic direction to IBO and represents one of the world's leading blueberry-producing nations. Armstrong's participation in industry events like Nación Berries 2026 underscores the Chilean role as a model for blueberry sector development.
• US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSHBC is a federal agriculture research and promotion program representing blueberry growers and packers in North and South America. It was awarded $850,000 in AFTPP funding from the USDA. USHBC President Kasey Cronquist contributes to IBO content and industry discussions. USHBC is a member organization of IBO.
• Proarándanos (Peru)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProarándanos is the leading Peruvian association of blueberry growers and exporters. IBO President Mario Steta and IBO Director Andrés Armstrong frequently reference Proarándanos data and perspectives in industry discussions. Proarándanos contributes to IBO's global production data and industry reports.
• Gustavo Yentzen (Founder, Yentzen Group; Advisor to IBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGustavo Yentzen, founder of Yentzen Group, serves as an advisor to IBO. He delivered the opening presentation at ENPM 2026 in Portugal, providing a global perspective on the blueberry industry's current state, scale, and competitive dynamics. His advisory role contributes to IBO's strategic intelligence capabilities.
• Freshuelva (Spain)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreshuelva is the leading berry industry association in southwest Spain. Its Technical Director, Mamen Mingorance, contributed to IBO reporting on weather-related challenges in Spain's blueberry sector. Freshuelva represents Spanish berry producers in IBO forums.
• Associação Nacional de Produtores de Mirtilo – ANPM (Portugal)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerANPM organized the National Blueberry Meeting (ENPM) 2026 in Portugal, an event that IBO covered and featured prominently in its editorial content. ANPM represents Portuguese blueberry producers and is a key IBO member organization from Europe.
• Horticultural Development Council – HDC (Zimbabwe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHDC announced Zimbabwe's first blueberry shipments to China following a phytosanitary protocol agreed between the two countries. HDC data on Zimbabwe's blueberry production (12,000 MT expected from ~850 hectares in 2026) is cited in IBO reporting. Zimbabwe is Africa's third-largest blueberry producer.
• Blueberries New ZealandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlueberries New Zealand is the organization representing New Zealand's domestic blueberry growers. It raised biosecurity concerns about proposed import standards that would allow fresh blueberry imports from Chile, Peru, Mexico, Morocco, and the United States. The organization is featured in IBO news coverage.
• Aneberries (Mexico)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAneberries is the Mexican berry industry association. The 16th International Aneberries Congress is organized by Aneberries and is the leading berry industry event in Mexico. IBO Director Andrés Armstrong serves as a speaker at Aneberries events, and IBO covers the congress as a major industry event.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Fruitnet Media International: Fruitnet runs the annual Fruitnet Berry Congress (275 delegates from 20 countries in 2026) and syndicates IBO content. Comparable as a media-and-events player serving the global berry industry with overlapping editorial reach and conference product.

Direct peers

• Associação Nacional de Produtores de Mirtilo (ANPM): ANPM is the Portuguese blueberry producers' association that organizes the National Blueberry Meeting (ENPM) and is a key IBO member from Europe. Same membership-association model with national focus on production data and grower representation.
• Blueberries New Zealand: Blueberries New Zealand represents domestic growers and frequently appears in IBO news coverage (e.g., biosecurity import standards debate). Directly comparable as a country-level blueberry producer association.
• Proarándanos: Proarándanos is the leading Peruvian blueberry growers and exporters association and an IBO member. It runs the annual Convención Internacional de Arándanos and feeds production data into IBO reports, making it a direct peer in the same association-and-event business model.
• Freshuelva: Freshuelva is the leading berry association in southwest Spain, representing Spanish berry producers and participating in IBO forums. It mirrors IBO's role at a regional level, sharing data and contributing to collective industry advocacy.
• Chilean Blueberry Committee: The Chilean Blueberry Committee is the producers' body led by Andrés Armstrong, who simultaneously serves as IBO Director. Closely tied to IBO through shared leadership and represents one of the world's largest blueberry exporters — making it a directly comparable national industry body.
• Asociación Nacional de Exportadores de Berries (Aneberries): Aneberries is the Mexican berry industry association that hosts the flagship International Aneberries Congress (3,000+ attendees, 250+ booths). It is directly comparable to IBO as a country-level industry association with a major annual event, member base of producers and exporters, and IBO serves as a content partner.

Broad incumbents

• International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA): IFPA (formed via merger of PMA and United Fresh) is the largest global fresh produce trade association. It serves as a broader incumbent in the same industry-association category, offering convening, advocacy, and events that overlap with IBO's mandate at a wider produce scope.
• US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC): USHBC is a federal research-and-promotion program for North and South American blueberry growers and packers, and a member organization of IBO. It is a larger, established national-level counterpart with overlapping mandate on data, marketing, and advocacy — making it the closest direct functional peer to IBO at a national scale.

Regional players

• Horticultural Development Council (HDC) Zimbabwe: HDC announced Zimbabwe's first blueberry shipments to China in 2026 (~12,000 MT from 850 ha), and its data is cited in IBO reporting. Comparable as a regional horticulture association with a focus on emerging African blueberry production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IBOBlueberry
• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalblueberryorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/internationalblueberryorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Blueberry Organization