From 6 – 8 February 2019 companies from across the entire fresh produce sector – from global players to small and medium-sized companies and organizations from all over the world – will again be present in Berlin. The professional trade show covers the entire spectrum of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector.
According to the organizers, Fruit Logistica deals with every single sector of the fresh produce business and provides a complete picture of the latest innovations, products and services at every link in the international supply chain. It thus offers networking and contact opportunities to the key decision-makers in every sector of the industry.
Start-up Day
Next year, the trade show will feature a new concept, namely Start-up Day, as an incentive to young, creative and innovative companies. Focusing on the theme “Disrupt Agriculture”, the first Start-up Day event will take place on 8 February 2019 in conjunction with the leading trade fair for the global fresh produce trade.
“On Friday, 8 February, Hall 9 will serve as a networking hub for start-ups and established companies across the value chain. The start-up area is the place to be for anyone interested in making contact and conducting business with start-up companies. Highlights include the Start-up Stage, where young enterprises present their pioneering business concepts, technologies and visions of the future,” said the organizers.
All start-ups working on the development of smart solutions aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability in the fresh produce industry are invited to apply for Start-up Day. The main focus is on B2B business models and innovative technologies in the following fields: agtech, digital farming, crop science, postharvest technology, logistics/supply chain management, packaging and packing technology.
From fast food to fresh feasts
The global foodservice industry’s recipe for growth over the coming decade is expected to feature an increasing amount of fresh, high-quality ingredients, including fruit and vegetables.
“In an age where the quality of fast food is rapidly improving and consumer demand for meals outside the home is bubbling away nicely, the fresh fruit and vegetable business could potentially dine out on the healthy eating trend for many years to come. That’s the main conclusion drawn in our report named Disruption in Fruit & Vegetable Distribution,” the organizers said.
They added that with healthy options very much on the menu, fresh produce is serving up precisely the kind of additional value that consumers want nowadays when ordering food in a restaurant, eating on the go, or using one of the world’s fast-emerging delivery services…and that’s just for starters.
“Over the past few decades, we have seen a steady trend towards more frequent out-of-home eating,” the report states. “People increasingly choose to dine out or to eat on the go. In many markets, this has resulted in an equivalence in monetary terms between the value of the food consumed at home and that consumed elsewhere,” the report says.
Furthermore, despite suggestions that the recent proliferation of foodservice variety and quality could slow down over the coming decade, the report concludes that increased demand for fresh, high-quality ingredients will combine with a marked shift towards diets that include more natural, less processed foods.
