Freshfel Europe General Delegate, Philippe Binard, highlighted the resilience of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector in the face of many socio-economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic this year at a dedicated public hearing in the European Parliament last night. Throughout the pandemic thus far, the sector has faced multifaceted socioeconomic difficulties, such as border closures, panic buying, seasonal worker availability complexities, and food service closures. But despite this and without fail, the fruit and vegetable sector has continuously adapted to offer fresh, high-quality products to European consumers.

At the public hearing of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Parliament on 'Situation of the fruit, vegetables and wine market: the impact of the EU measures to face the COVID-19 pandemic' last night , the General Delegate of Freshfel Europe, Philippe Binard, presented the socio-economic challenges for the fruit and vegetable sector created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Binard highlighted that the sector had shown strong resilience and had taken steps to rapidly adapt to pandemic conditions, including responding to panic buying, adapting supply and ensuring product diversity, adaptation to new consumer requirements and redirection of specific product segments as a result of food service closures and repositioning of sales through e-commerce.

Binard thanked the European institutions for their initial supportive response to businesses, however, stressed that business continuity should not be taken for granted. Binard explained that, “Freshfel Europe's May COVID-19 Impact Assessment identified that adapting to challenges across the supply chain resulted in an estimated additional cost to the sector of at least € 500 million per month. This excludes the loss of the food service stage in the chain where sales represent 15-25% of the total fruit and vegetable market, as well as the costs at the retail level that were felt in all sectors ”.

While the consumer value of fruits and vegetables as a key nutritional element of a healthy diet has been boosted by the health pandemic, Binard has warned policy makers about new and continuing socio-economic challenges already affecting the sector in the current second wave of the pandemic. Binard highlighted that increasing pressure on prices due to the impending economic crisis, continued additional costs in the supply chain, the need to quickly redirect products to other market channels due to restrictions in food services, the shortage of seasonal workers and the maintenance of trade. Opportunities will prevail in the coming months, all in the shadow of Brexit, which will bring its own costs and limitations.