Fruit & Vegetables

Hardly any other area of the food market is subject to comparable dynamics as the production and trade of fruit and vegetables. Three central trends in particular are responsible for this. First, fruits and vegetables play a key role in the realization of a lifestyle geared towards health and longevity. Demand for organic products is growing rapidly, and above all faster than supply, making agriculture based on strict ecological criteria a highly profitable segment. This development goes hand in hand with a pronounced consumer awareness of the quality and of fruits and vegetables and the increasing willingness to pay for particularly tasty products or for "superfood" products with special health properties. The fresh fruit and vegetable department plays a key role in determining how a PoS is judged by consumers.

At the same time, ecological and socio-economic aspects of sustainability are becoming decisive product characteristics, especially for fruit and vegetables. On the one hand, this includes the careful use of soil, water and energy, and the reduction of waste, chemical consumption and packaging materials. On the other hand, seasonal and regional purchasing to strengthen local agriculture and reduce CO2 emissions are key decision-making factors for consumers, especially for fruit and vegetables. These trends place high demands on the geographical and structural design of purchasing, production and supply networks, the guarantee of high quality of perishable goods and the creation of a high level of security and transparency in demonstrating sustainability and product quality throughout the production chain.