Trends in fruit consumption - WUR

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The work presented was carried out within the Project 'ISAFRUIT', with a focus on the area of 'Consumer driven and responsive supply chain'. The strategic objective of ISAFRUIT is to increase fruit consumption and thereby improve the healt and wellbeing of Europeans and their environment, by taking a total chain approach, identifying the bottlenecks and addressing them by consumerdriven preferences. ISAFRUIT is an integrated project, funded by the European Union in the Sixth Framework Programme. www.isafruit.org Trends in fruit consumption A qualitative analysis in 4 European countries Jos Bartels¹, Marianne Groot¹, Anastasia Kyriakidi², Ivo van der Lans¹ Partners: (1) Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands), (2) Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), Technical University Madrid (Spain), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland) Introduction One of the goals of wp 1.1 was to identify and to understand major trends in fruit consumption. This poster presents the results of a qualitative study on trends in fruit consumption. Method: expert interviews Experts in Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain were asked to elaborate on the trend factors that have influenced fruit consumption in the past and on the trend factors that are expected to have impact in the future. Furthermore, they were asked to draw possible future scenarios on fruit consumption. Besides qualitative answers, experts had to elaborate to the possible impact (in %) of the factors on fruit consumption. They had also to state for each factor when the maximum impact on fruit consumption would be reached (qualitative results not presented in this poster). The experts were both from inside as well as outside the fruit sector. Based on the first round of interviews, a second round was conducted, employing several features of a Delphistudy. Results The most important past trend factor that emerged in all countries was the importance of people’s health in relation to fruit consumption. Besides the health trend, which was even expected to become more important in the future, convenience is also indicated as an important determinant of fruit consumption in the future. In addition, future scenarios drawn by the experts were concerned with health aspects, convenience and the decreased impact of the economic factors. Moreover, all experts predicted that future fruit consumption in Europe will increase significantly. List of important trends Health Convenience Demographic changes Product variation (upcoming trend) Impact of economic factors (decreasing trend) More information: Marianne Groot Applied Plant Research WURPPO Email: [email protected] Main recommendation Due to the foreseen increasing importance of health and well being, combined with the convenience trend (due to the lack of time), the aim should be to increase product variation by new products, new and convenient packaging, healthy products and so on, to make the healthy choice an easy choice. For other recommendations, for partners in the fruit chain, policy, see: Bartels, J., M. Groot, A. Kyriakidi and I. van der Lans . 2008. A qualitative analysis on trends in fruit consumption in four European countries. Scripta Horticulturae, issue Isafruit.

Transcript of Trends in fruit consumption - WUR

The work presented was carried out within the Project 'ISAFRUIT', with a focus on the area of 'Consumer driven and responsive supply chain'.

The strategic objective of ISAFRUIT is to increase fruit consumption and thereby improve the healt and well%being of Europeans and their

environment, by taking a total chain approach, identifying the bottlenecks and addressing them by consumer%driven preferences.

ISAFRUIT is an integrated project, funded by the European Union in the Sixth Framework Programme.

www.isafruit.org

Trends in fruit consumption A qualitative analysis in 4 European countries

Jos Bartels¹, Marianne Groot¹, Anastasia Kyriakidi², Ivo van der Lans¹

Partners: (1) Wageningen University and Research Centre (the Netherlands), (2) Agricultural University of Athens (Greece), Technical University Madrid (Spain), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland)

Introduction One of the goals of wp 1.1 was to identify and to understand major trends in fruit consumption. This poster presents the results of a qualitative study on trends in fruit consumption.

Method: expert interviews Experts in Greece, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain were asked to elaborate on the trend factors that have influenced fruit consumption in the past and on the trend factors that are expected to have impact in the future. Furthermore, they were asked to draw possible future scenarios on fruit consumption. Besides qualitative answers, experts had to elaborate to the possible impact (in %) of the factors on fruit consumption. They had also to state for each factor when the maximum impact on fruit consumption would be reached (qualitative results not presented in this poster). The experts were both from inside as well as outside the fruit sector. Based on the first round of interviews, a second round was conducted, employing several features of a Delphi%study.

Results

• The most important past trend factor that emerged in all countries was the importance of people’s health in relation to fruit consumption.

• Besides the health trend, which was even expected to become more important in the future, convenience is also indicated as an important determinant of fruit consumption in the future.

• In addition, future scenarios drawn by the experts were concerned with health aspects, convenience and the decreased impact of the economic factors.

• Moreover, all experts predicted that future fruit consumption in Europe will increase significantly.

List of important trends • Health • Convenience • Demographic changes • Product variation (upcoming trend) • Impact of economic factors (decreasing trend)

More information: Marianne Groot Applied Plant Research WUR%PPO E%mail: [email protected]

Main recommendation Due to the foreseen increasing importance of health and well being, combined with the convenience trend (due to the lack of time), the aim should be to increase product variation by new products, new and convenient packaging, healthy products and so on, to make the healthy choice an easy choice. For other recommendations, for partners in the fruit chain, policy, see: Bartels, J., M. Groot, A. Kyriakidi and I. van der Lans . 2008. A qualitative analysis on trends in fruit consumption in four European countries. Scripta Horticulturae, issue Isafruit.