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GLOBAL TRADE SYMPOSIUM: INCREASING CONSUMPTION
BY EDWARD VERNON
(From left) Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk of Seald Sweet, Stephan Weist of REWE Group, Patricia Brunn of Flowers & Plants at Penny, and Jelger de Vriend of Innovative Fresh.
Taking place on the second day of the New York Produce Show and Conference was the Global Trade Symposium, a gath- ering of international traders of fruit and vegetables who spoke about latest develop- ments in trade and shared their knowledge of ways to increase produce consumption.
The broader focus of the event is to understand the ways different people understand different issues to open the industry’s minds. The event was hosted by Produce Business editor-in-chief and Perish- able Pundit, Jim Prevor, who said in his opening remarks: “The impact of global trade is, of course, not just affecting traders; it is in fact affecting everyone.”
Nic Jooste, marketing director of Neth- erlands-based Cool Fresh International, said the future is arriving fast, and he emphasized the need for a fresh way of thinking about produce. Traditional fresh produce compa- nies must change their internal cultures to prepare for the opportunities and chal- lenges ahead. “We are so caught up in our day-to-day things and in the short-term, but we must think about the future to survive,” he said, also explaining the need to look to young people and to let them be creative.
Maria Wieloch, senior category manager for fruit, vegetables and owers at ICA, Sweden’s largest supermarket chain, spoke about some initiatives the company had done over the past couple of years to increase produce consumption and to encourage kids to eat more healthfully in candy-intense periods such as Halloween. One of ICA’s initiatives – for which it won the International
Award for Marketing Fresh Produce to Chil- dren at the 2018 London Produce Show and Conference – included the launch of a new line of monster-themed fruit and vegetables during the Halloween period.
Stephan Weist, director of category management for fruits and vegetables at the Germany-based REWE Group, then gave a presentation with Patricia Brunn, of Flowers & Plants at Penny, about the competitive German grocery market. REWE is the coun- try’s fastest-growing supermarket group, outpacing discounters such as Aldi and Lidl. The company has helped suppliers increase marketable yields of organic fruits and vegetables through its successful imperfect produce program, and it is also seeing large growth for regional products, driven partly by its national brand ‘REWE Regional.’
Miguel Gómez, associate professor at Cornell University, discussed key drivers and trends of international produce trade and how these are affecting the U.S. industry. He touched on trade agreements, per-capita produce consumption levels in key markets around the world and projected increases in demand. “The main challenge is how can we take advantage of penetrating markets such as those in the different parts of Asia and Africa, where the growth is coming,” he said.
Jelger de Vriend, co-founder of Dutch company Innovative Fresh, discussed the need to revolutionize produce quality. He said that, for example, around a quarter of avocados sold as ready-to-eat were in fact not ready-to-eat, which disappoints consumers and affects future sales. Similarly,
he said, people are often disappointed with a certain aspect of produce they buy, such as shelf life or taste. Another key point he said was the need for industry collaboration. “If we want to get consumers happy all the way at the end of the supply chain, we really need to work together, all the way through the farm, through the warehouses, packing stations, all the way to retail,” he said.
Mayda Sotomayor-Kirk, chief executive of Seald Sweet, Vero Beach, FL, gave a heartfelt presentation that recounted her personal and professional journey in international trade to become one of few woman chiefs of a major produce company. She spoke about the growth of imported produce, how consumer demand has created major shifts in produc- tion, and the importance of sustainability. “We have a saying in our company: As far away as necessary, and as close as possible ... in order to provide fruit and vegetables to the world you need everybody to produce in a sustainable way,” she said.
Gustavo Yentzen, founder of industry news publication FreshFruitPortal.com, chaired a panel on the opportunities and challenges faced by Latin America, by far the largest supplying region to the United States. The panel included Juan Camilo Barrera of ProColombia USA, Jerald Downs of Berry People, Jorge Echenique of Last Land Farms, Andrew Schwartz of JAL Agro, and William Weyland of 7 Seas Fruit. The discussions touched on a vast range of aspects related to the region, which is seeing monumental growth in some key fruit categories countries such as Peru and Colombia.
NYPS6 JANUARY 2019 / PRODUCE BUSINESS
‘U.S. grapes are having a hard time getting into China this year... When you go to China, you are impressed with how much they are investing in research and agricultural technology.’
— Miguel Gomez, Cornell University professor