Given the geopolitical upheaval our world faces, it’s difficult to look to the future with certainty about almost anything global but food.

One thing we know for sure is that consumers are always looking for something new. And when it comes to developments in the international fruit and vegetable sector, Fruit Logistica has few peers.

Fruit Logistica, considered one of the world’s top five trade shows for produce (along with the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention), takes place this year February 4-6. The event, held annually in bustling Berlin, drew 91,000 industry professionals from 151 countries last year. 

I’ve been fortunate to attend Fruit Logistica twice, as a member of the International Forum for Agricultural Journalism. The experience is awesome, verging on overwhelming – imagine 2,500 well-polished, well-organized exhibitors vying for your attention, in hall upon hall of produce and processing and production equipment. It truly requires the event’s full three days to digest it all.

Besides having an up-close look at the eye-popping breadth of produce, Fruit Logistica participants also have access to expert, top-tier market and trend analysts. One such expert is Berlin-based, Mexico native Roberto Hernández, client manager for chain and business development for the Dutch seed giant Rijk Zwaan. His company, which operates in more than 30 countries, produces seed for 30-plus different crops and more than 2,000 varieties.

Hernández is confident that even with the international chaos swirling about, produce consumers will be increasingly discerning about their purchases. And when they do, their focus will be on flavour – a sweeter cucumber, for example -- and nutrition, such as fruit and vegetables with higher vitamin content.

“Snack tomatoes, mini truss varieties, different shapes, one-bite cucumbers and colourful peppers are increasingly popular, as people search for produce that feels indulgent without compromising on health,” he says. He believes the ideal new product will combine strong yields, long shelf life, consumer appeal and “an unforgettable eating experience.” 

Developing this kind of product will require complex breeding, to find what Hernandez describes as the right balance between sweetness, acidity and texture, while ensuring growers get the disease resistance and yields they need. There’s no doubt his company’s research and development team is paying attention to this trend. Rijk Zwaan dedicates an impressive 30 per cent of its annual return to research and development, and to variety development that mirrors regional and global tastes. 

“We have been seeing a shift in how we look at varieties,” he says. “In the past it was just about yield and having the best resistance, but now we’re more focused on what consumers want, and that’s a big emphasis on taste and nutrition. It has to not only taste good, but do something for you as well.”

As an example, he notes that some pepper varieties now contain exceptionally high levels of vitamin C, even more than certain citrus fruits. Consumers are unaware of this, which is where communications come in. Helping them recognize such benefits is an important part of bringing new varieties to market. 

Consumers know the traits they want, but they won’t necessarily understand that these traits can also be found in unconventional sources. And they might not understand nutritional lingo, such as nutritional units. 

“There are many products we can make to impress consumers and meet their different expectations,” Hernándezsays. Describing taste is both an art and a science; describing nutrition is still very much in the scientific domain.

But new products are coming, and to help maximize uptake, the industry needs to help educate consumers about benefits and features. Even with global uncertainty, consumers are king.