Authenticity is the next big thing that will dominate consumers’ choices when purchasing fresh produce in the US, according to the Perishable Pundit Jim Prevor.
President and editor-in-chief of US’s Produce Business and website perishablepundit.com, Prevor told delegates at the Re:fresh conference, Moving the Organic Goalposts, in London last week, that neither organic or local food were completely the answer to what US consumers are looking for and both trends cause problems within the supply chain.
“Local does not feel meaningful anymore,” he explained. “Unless consumers go to farmers’ markets in that particular area, local produce means nothing. Equally organic has become blurred.
“The next stage is authenticity. Consumers want things to be real, and they want to connect with the produce.”
Prevor revealed that consumer research in the US showed that people did not essentially want locally grown food, but wanted fruit and vegetables to be grown in the right places. This new trend solves the contradictions caused by following either the local or organic way of eating, by providing provenance, as well as year-round supply.
“We believe authenticity will be the solution in the US, as we are unlikely to open hundreds of farms in local areas to satisfy local demand. We have to show consumers the other parts of the country that grow certain produce well.
“In the US, we are starting to see the history and authenticity of produce carried through on labelling to show consumers where it has come from and why the produce is better for coming from that place. It is meeting consumers’ needs, while creating a sustainable market. It is the next big opportunity for the fresh produce industry in the US.”
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