When a publication as deeply rooted in the traditions of print media as the Financial Times declares it is time to adopt a digital-first strategy, as it did at the start of this year, the rest of the publishing world certainly takes note. When the esteemed newspaper's editor Lionel Barber made the announcement, he confirmed what many in the business already knew: that the internet, in all its divergent forms, had brought about a radical shift in the way news and information is consumed and therefore reported.

Today sees the relaunch of Fruitnet.com and the emergence of a new and improved online presence for each of the network's associated print titles. Regional magazinesEurofruit, Asiafruit and Americafruit, as well as the UK's leading fresh produce news source Fresh Produce Journal, Australasian quarterly Produce Plus and specialist annual Fresh Convenience, now have dedicated websites from which to share a combination of news, features and analysis that represents the best independent coverage in the business. Within the coming weeks, our growing smartphone audience will be able to enjoy our coverage via a new, specially formatted version of these sites.

We know our readers in the fresh produce business are already taking advantage of new opportunities to connect with the rest of the world. Gone are the days of waiting for news to arrive at a certain time; finding and keeping ahead of industry developments is now all about drawing in that news from a multitude of sources. Companies including Twitter, Google, LinkedIn and Facebook have done much to blow apart the old publishing business models, leaving traditional, mainstream print media to play catch-up. While the specialised nature of our own print publications means they have continued to draw in readers and advertisers, both groups now need something extra and more immediate to satisfy a more pressing demand for information.

The old adage about standing still and, in doing so, effectively moving backwards certainly holds true in the publishing trade, so our aim has been to harness new technologies and to become far more connected with the business we serve. The ability to share stories has been greatly improved, while the variety of media that we use to deliver those stories is also evolving to include a range of new formats.

Across all of our titles, our value will continue to be editorial independence, strong journalism and original reporting, but the way in which we present those attributes will continue to evolve. From now on, Fruitnet.com will act not as a simple provider of news but as a network, across which the world's leading fresh produce magazines will reach their global audience.

Some of the new website's features:

  • • News coverage, features and multimedia
  • •Filter stories by product, country or topic
  • •Search news archive going back over a decade
  • •Blogs, podcasts, video and photo galleries
  • •Share articles via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+
  • •Print articles or download as PDF
  • •Share images via Pinterest
  • •Up-to-date list of upcoming events
  • •Classified job advertisements
  • •Dedicated Twitter feed
  • •Log in for exclusive content
  • •Manage your subscription

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