Securing environmentally sustainable sources of production as close to market as possible is set to become an even more important consideration for fresh produce companies in the coming years, according to one of Europe’s leading fruit and vegetable marketers.
Announcing the recent completion of various organic and ecological certification audits, the chief executive of major German horticultural marketer Landgard, Armin Rehberg, said origin and local sourcing continued to be among the key trends shaping the sale of fruit, vegetables and flowers.
“Regional and ecological production are among the major mega-trends of our time,” Rehberg commented. “Consumer awareness of sustainability and environmental protection is increasing, meaning consumers increasingly want to know where a product comes from and how it was produced.”
Landgard recently appointed Svea Pacyna-Schürheck as its new head of quality management and sustainability. Her role will be to develop the group’s strategy on both fronts, encompassing areas such as pesticide residue monitoring – using risk-based sampling – and other quality assurance measures included in the various certification schemes to which it adheres.
