While much of the international fresh produce trade as we know it happens above 30,000 feet, few occasions are riper for opportunity than on the ground at Fruit Logistica, the annual three-day event that brings 3,200 exhibitors and 78,000 trade visitors together under one roof.
Taking place in Berlin from 5-7 February, Fruit Logistica covers every sector of the fresh produce business, setting the stage for new innovations, products and services. This makes it the perfect platform to meet both forwarders and growers from across the world.
If you’re heading to the event – or just curious to know what to expect – we round up some of the emerging themes cropping up for the year ahead.
Goodbye plastic
Discussions around curbing food waste, prolonging the shelf life of fruit and veg, and establishing eco-friendly packaging options are paramount in 2020. Products to look out for include a high-performance, food-safe and fully compostable labelling solution for fresh produce that disintegrates within 12 weeks and biodegrades within 180 days, and solvent-free fruit and veg packaging made with water-based inks and adhesives that can be printed onto a range of composite materials.
Next-level innovation
One of the key pillars of the event, technological creativity will reach new heights at this year’s event. You can expect to find everything from automatic coconut opening machines that employ algorithms to automatically adjust depth, to the first ever banding machine with interchangeable frames, optimised for handling paper bands with a plastic content of less than 5%.
New and improved produce
As plant-based diets surge in popularity, pressure mounts for the industry to make fruit and veg more attractive to consumers. Among the exciting new varieties on show this year are purple-skinned cocktail tomatoes offering a unique new flavour and a Chinese green cabbage and broccoli hybrid with an unmistakable purple stalk, as well as others designed to provide agriculturally sustainable solutions. These include a mini seedless watermelon with minimal waste.
Whether it’s fresh fruit or flowers, IAG Cargo supports some of the world’s largest growers and retailers with Constant Fresh, a product specifically designed to deliver perishable produce in pristine condition and optimise shelf life. With one of the largest wide body fleets, a network of 350 destinations and dedicated perishable handling facilities in Madrid and London Heathrow, we ship more than 100,000 tons per year. Find out more about our service here.