This year's Eurofruit Southern Hemisphere Congress, which takes place on 2-4 December in Santiago, Chile, already boasts an impressive line up of speakers with many more set to confirm participation in the coming weeks.
Chile's Minister of Agriculture Marigen Hornkohl will jointly open the event with Ronald Bown, chairman of the Chilean Exporters Association, to give an overview of the latest developments and future plans within the Chilean fresh fruit and vegetable business.
Elsewhere on the programme, Lorna Christie, senior vice-president of the US-based Produce Marketing Association, will address delegates on marketing trends and consumer habits in the US by taking a look at the level of demand for counter-seasonal fruits and the forces influencing purchasing decisions in the region.
Riël Malan of Fruits unlimited in South Africa, Declan Graham from HortResearch and Rolf Becker of Bayer Crop Science also join the programme to talk about how Southern Hemisphere suppliers can respond to growing social and environmental responsibility concerns in key markets such as the UK, Europe and the US.
Mr Graham will give an overview of the range of environmental strategies being rolled out in New Zealand, while Mr Malan, whose company recently went carbon neutral, will offer delegates an insight into how they can reduce their environmental impact. Mr Becker will also present a case study on the social and food safety policies currently being implemented via Bayer Crop Science's Food Chain Partnerships in Latin America and beyond.
Over 400 international delegates from the fresh produce industry are set to attend this year's event, which takes place at the Grand Hyatt Santiago.
A full congress programme detailing additional speaker and session information is available at www.shcongress.com. For more information on sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, contact info@shcongress.com.
