Fresh Direct, the UK’s leading foodservice fresh produce provider, says it has launched innovative new packaging for its range of berries that will drastically reduce plastic content saving almost 50 tonnes of plastic every year. read more

And the results offer reason for long-term confidence: more sustainable products are still in vogue across all generations. Even if the inflation-induced need to cut back on spending in German households in particular has recently led to a slowdown in the trend.
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Queensland-grown bananas and melons have been shipped to Japan, in an Australia-first trial aimed at breaking into the potentially lucrative Japanese market. read more

One new and two returning board directors have joined the grower-owned research and development corporation for Australian horticulture, Hort Innovation. read more

Leading players in Europe’s fresh produce packaging business have welcomed the recent European Parliament vote on new EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations (PPWR) after some last-minute revisions – in particular to its approach to recycling. read more

The Co-op has hit the milestone of five million active member owners as part of plans shared in April 2023 to attract one million more members by 2028. read more

Lidl topped the chart for British apple sales in October, outstripping its market share and buying over 3,000 tonnes of domestically grown fruit. read more

The increasing drought in southern Europe and other countries once again emphasises the importance of domestic production, which takes place to better ecological and social standards. The short transport routes for German vegetables also have a positive effect on the
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At a seminar to launch the new name, the association presented a roadmap to promote the competitiveness and growth of the Chilean fruit sector in collaboration with the state. The President of Fruits from Chile, Iván Marambio, outlined the priorities of the organisation.
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Longer contracts and more flexibility on price, but fewer producers and lower volume. read more

Asoex, the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, has rebranded as Fruits from Chile as part of a strategy to address mounting competition from other Southern Hemisphere suppliers and internal structural challenges facing the country’s fruit industry. read more

"This season, South African citrus growers packed 165.1 million cartons for delivery to world markets," the CGA said. "While this is an increase of approximately 800,000 cartons over last year's packed figures, it is still 500,000 cartons less than the previous year.
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During the event, it was explained how a sustainability management system can be implemented in food retail centres, wholesale and logistics companies and processing companies on the basis of the Voluntary QS Sustainability Inspection (FIN) module and what needs to be taken into account when implementing a sustainability management system.
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The long-term average for 2017/22 was exceeded by 2 tonnes/ha or 6 %. read more

Queensland Fruit & Vegetable Growers (QFVG) association has launched a national campaign to encourage open conversations around the pressing issues facing the sector. read more

Grower groups from across Australia and national representative bodies have joined in supporting the newly released 2023/24 Australian-grown Horticulture Sustainability Framework, a tool to help the horticulture sector share its sustainable, ethical, and safe farming practice stories with
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Adrian Scripps, one of the most important growers of apples ever to the farm in the UK, died last weekend aged 86. read more

Zespri, the world’s largest kiwifruit marketer, has established a US$2m fund to support industry innovation and partnerships. read more

Despite talking a good game on sustainability and encouraging growers to reduce the use of pesticides, UK supermarkets have so far been slow to embrace PCN-resistant varieties of potato. read more

South Africa’s final export figures for 2023 put the industry behind its projection to reach 260m cartons within ten years. The Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA) said the final figure for 2023 was substantially below the anticipated growth curve based on plantings. read more