Industry analysis from Fresh Produce Journal
Analysis and insight for the UK fresh produce business.
Comment: Data tools drive Driscoll’s improvement
Fresh4cast and berry marketer Driscoll’s were nominated for a Technology Champion Award at the recent FPC Fresh Industry Awards. We asked Fresh4cast’s Michele Dall’Olio to tell us more
Empty shelves likely as border chaos continues
Comment: Mike Parr of PML Seafrigo lays bare the continuing complications and disruption experienced by hauliers at the UK border as 2025 looks set to be another challenging year for supply chains
If the climate threat is so urgent, why not talk about it?
The presidential contenders’ wildly differing views on the climate threat appeared indecisive in the US election, but the reasons behind this may be instructive for fresh produce businesses globally
Can Veganuary get its veg back?
Harvey Choat, MD of food and drink comms agency Nexus, argues that the 2025 Veganuary campaign risks alienating consumers and should instead focus on a message of ‘plant-more’ rather than ‘meat-less’
Comment: Pink Lady changed the face of apple marketing
As the founder of Pink Lady Europe steps down, Chris White recalls his first encounter with the apple in Australia during the early 1990s
Conversations
Fruitbox 112 · Daniel Sauvaitre, Interfel
Chris and Daniel look at global trade policy and its impact on the fruit and vegetable business
Fruitbox 111 · Duncan Jones, Sinclair
Duncan talks about Sinclair’s new home-compostable fruit label, described as a “huge step forward” in making fruit and vegetable labelling a 100 per cent sustainable practice
Fruitbox 110 · Gary Marshall, New Covent Garden Market
Gary and Chris champion the value of the wholesale market and look to the future of the business
South Africa prepares for positive stonefruit season
Growers are predicting a better export season after 2023/24 was disrupted by weather and logistical issues
Valencia and Spain are suffering, but they will rise to the challenge
Despite last month’s devastating floods, Spain will keep Europe supplied with fruit and vegetables
Comment: A pivotal moment for the banana industry
Business urgently needs fair prices, mutual transparency, and a shift away from over-certification, says Banana Link’s international coordinator
It’s time to act to save British food production
Ali Capper, executive chair of BAPL, shares her response to the October 2024 Budget announcements
Promising carrot season in Egypt a boost for global markets
Egypt has emerged as a significant player in the global carrot market, becoming the third largest supplier of carrots to the EU in 2022/23, according to Khaled Alhabouny, operations director at Alhabouny Group
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Recycling is best route to solving plastic problem in apples and pears
BAPL chair Ali Capper tells FPJ why she thinks banning plastic packaging for apples and pears is not the answer
Cutting plastic packaging requires a multi-dimensional approach
Jack Ward, director of the British Growers Association, says the future of fresh produce packaging must be considered from more than one perspective
‘Lessons from oil industry can help solve talent dilemma in African fresh produce’
Max MacGillivray of executive recruitment consultancy Redfox explains why applying the ‘oil rig mentality’ to fresh produce recruitment could help attract more talent from the UK and Europe to work in Africa
Lack of experienced leadership is at the heart of Asda’s struggles
Ged Futter, partner at The Retail Mind and former senior buying manager at Asda, examines why the supermarket is continuing to flounder
Comment: AI can make a big difference to fruit quality
Worldwide Fruit’s head of technical Willie Wood believes new technology is about to remove all subjectivity from fresh produce quality control
Comment: Sustainability is no longer an optional extra
Agrifood companies are well used to tracking key performance indicators. The reality is they now need to monitor sustainability performance closely too
New CGMA chair promises new era of wholesale collaboration
New Covent Garden Market Authority chair Wanda Goldwag outlines the vital role wholesale markets continue to play
Fruit Logistica: How do we take a fair approach to net zero for airfreighted produce?
The argument for airfreight was put forward on the Logistics Hub stage during day two of Fruit Logistica in Berlin
Non-destructive tools help predict tomato quality over time
Fighting food waste in tomatoes demands quality modelling using non-destructive tools, says Eva Ketel, scientific researcher in physiology and product quality at Wageningen University & Research
New bio controls have ‘great potential’ as crop protection toolkit shrinks
Peter Shakespeare of Certis Belchim UK explains that growers must think carefully about how to integrate biorational controls in their IPM programmes as synthetic products continue to be banned