Diverse Supporting Program at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022

The event program of the leading trade fair for global fruit trade, FRUIT LOGISTICA, taking place from April 5 to 7, 2022, in Berlin, provides information on all areas of the value chain, helping to make better business decisions. One of the main topics will be sustainability along the supply chain.

(Berlin) The topic of sustainability, especially regarding cultivation, packaging, and transport, the impacts of the climate crisis on producers, the digitalization of agriculture, and changing goods flows are just some of the complex challenges that international fruit trade must face. Informed answers and innovative solutions will be presented and discussed from April 5 to 7, 2022, in the extensive professional accompanying program of FRUIT LOGISTICA 2022.

Fresh Produce Forum

Current and central topics that play a role along the entire value chain will be discussed in the Fresh Produce Forum. In ten one-hour sessions, participants can inform themselves about pressing challenges and discuss solutions with international experts. The international fruit trade contributes immensely to the healthy nutrition of people worldwide every year. In many countries, fruits and vegetables are also important economic factors. However, societal developments and global events such as the pandemic or the climate crisis continually redefine the framework conditions and require new responses. The Fresh Produce Forum makes an important contribution to mastering all these challenges. For example, consumer behavior of the future will be examined, intelligent solutions in transport logistics will be sought, climate and biodiversity protection for future banana cultivation will be analyzed, or smart high-tech for retail will be presented.

Logistics Hub

The Logistics Hub will reflect on the past two years in five interactive sessions and attempt to view some of the known topics in a new light. Although the pandemic-shaken global economy has picked up speed again, it may take longer for the impacts on the supply chain for perishable goods, including the shortage of equipment, to resolve. The interests of fresh produce exporters and the interests of freight forwarders seem to be further apart than ever, with freight forwarders caught in the middle and the traditional cold storage sector with its own interests and supply chain challenges waiting in the wings. For the system to function as normally as possible again, all parties need to reconnect physically. FRUIT LOGISTICA is the ideal platform for this.

Future Lab

Healthy nutrition, regional products, avoiding food waste, and reducing packaging materials – these are all topics that are becoming increasingly important to consumers. These topics are also addressed by the speakers of the Future Lab. Gustav Nyström from the research institute Empa presents a method where by-products from the fruit and vegetable industry are upgraded by extracting high-performance cellulose fibers, which are then sprayed as a coating to protect fresh fruits. This is intended to extend shelf life and thus reduce food waste. Salifaktur GbR is the first German company to commercially cultivate salt plants for gastronomy and wholesale. Asparagus is on everyone’s lips, but how about sea asparagus? Julian Engelmann will discuss the regionality of the product, its cultivation, and its potential in his presentation. In between, there is of course a wide field: from the sensory assessment of fruit set, monitoring and securing the quality of (organic) food, to the creation of a global trade network for a product.

Tech Stage

The challenges of the fruit industry are diverse and in many areas cannot be managed without technological solutions. From processing technology to cultivation methods to greenhouse technologies and irrigation systems that significantly influence yield – developments are advancing rapidly in all areas. Therefore, it is all the more important for industry players not to miss the crucial processes and to set the course for the future in good time. The Tech Stage provides the perfect platform for this: Among other things, the company Tevel Aerobotics reports on trends in global agricultural technology and shows the role of artificial intelligence and robotics. The supply chain specialist Tive focuses on the challenges of transport and explains how perishable goods arrive on time and in perfect condition at their destination. And Moleaer demonstrates, using the example of chemical-free water treatment, how food production can become even more sustainable and resource-efficient.

Start-up Stage

On April 7, the Tech Stage will transform into the Start-up Stage. Young companies will then have the opportunity to present their business models on this stage and discuss new technologies as well as their future visions for the industry. Digital farming, intelligent robots, supply chain management, the next generation of vertical farming, and harvest monitoring in greenhouses with a fully automated drone – the topics are as exciting as they are diverse.
More details at: https://www.fruitlogistica.com/de/events/

Photo: © FRUIT LOGISTICA