medFEL returns to Perpignan on April 28th and 29th for its 16th edition. We take a look at the program and highlights of the 2026 edition, presented on Monday at a press conference.
© medFEL
A growing event
"medFEL is a unique event held in April in France," explains Catherine Machabert, head of Food and Wine Markets at AD'OCC. Strategically placed between two major international trade fairs, Fruit Logistica in Berlin and Fruit Attraction in Madrid, the event is particularly well positioned. "Many factors are now contributing to the growth of the event, which is now a full-fledged player in the sector's professional events landscape."
What also sets medFEL apart is its format: a compact but dense two-day exhibition on a human scale. "This is essential for a sector like fruit and vegetables," explains Valérie Lemant, managing director of SPAS Organization. "medFEL is first and foremost a trade show for the sector: a place where professionals can come together to discuss, build, and develop business opportunities."
The event has been doing well, having grown steadily in recent years. For this 2026 edition, 250 exhibitors are expected, as well as around 5,000 trade visitors. medFEL is also seeing increasing participation from Euro-Mediterranean players.
© FreshPlaza In 2026, medFEL is stepping up a gear and expanding with new producers. Les Aulx du Sud-Ouest, Sokod'Ail, La Ferme de La Hitte, and French Clem are joining the event, while the Demain la Terre association is making a comeback with a reinforced space around several of its members: VAL LÉGUMES - Ferme de Fontenay, Le Jardin de Rabelais, Culture Pom, PICVERT, Ferme de la Motte, Fruits Rouges & Co.
The Top International Buyers program
For visitors - buyers, marketers, distributors - medFEL is a real strategic crossroads. "It is a time to exchange ideas and do business," explains Véronique Lemant, director of SPAS Organization. A business dimension based on two main levers. Firstly, the exhibitors' booths cover the six major sectors represented at the show and enable companies to showcase their products and expertise. But above all, no less than 1,500 business meetings are scheduled over 2 days. "The event is very compact in terms of time, but extremely dense in terms of activity." These meetings are facilitated by a matchmaking system set up in advance of the show, which enables participants to express their expectations and specify their requests before the event, enabling highly effective meetings to take place. The Top International Buyers program is organized by AD'OCC, the attractiveness and development agency of the Occitania region. The business convention will bring together 30 buyers from different continents.
Organic products in the spotlight
medFEL is also about organic produce, with almost 1 in 2 exhibiting producers offering organic products. In order to make this offer easier to understand for visitors, two facilities will be set up. Firstly, the Organic Market area, organized in collaboration with Interbio Occitania and set up at the entrance to the show, will enable exhibitors to present their organic produce directly. Additionally, the Route du Bio, a specially identified Organic Route, will make it easier for visitors to find the companies offering organic products at the show.
© medFEL
Conferences and round tables: a key feature of medFEL
As well as the traditional harvest forecasts, medFEL also hosts a program of conferences, round tables, and debates in the AGORA area. "medFEL is an essential meeting place for all those involved in the sector, as it is also a genuine platform for reflection and exchange," explains Véronique Lemant. "The debates held at medFEL have become a benchmark for the market. They address strategic issues, the problems, and the outlook for the sector as a whole. This year's topics will include the future of the Common Market Organization (CMO), which has structured the sector for over 30 years. "This subject is all the more strategic today in view of the changes the EC is likely to make as part of the next CAP. These changes could have major consequences for both upstream and downstream parts of the sector," explains Véronique Lemant.
Another highlight of the program is the Great Debate, devoted to the question of the distribution of agricultural risk within the sector. It will feature two keynote speakers, Mickaël Alagapin, a partner at Cooperative U and national fruit and vegetable referent, and Françoise Roch, a fruit grower in Tarn-et-Garonne and president of the National Federation of Fruit Producers (FNPF).
© medFEL
Conference program
Tuesday April 28th
- Plum harvest forecasts (10:00 → 11:00)
- Melon planting forecasts (10:45 → 12:15)
- CMO for fruit and vegetables: 30 years of a structuring policy. Where do we go from here? (14:30 → 15:30)
- Grand Debate: What levers can be used to better spread agricultural risk across the sector? (16:30 → 18:00)
Wednesday April 29th
- Logistics and transport: Can we reconcile performance and green logistics? (10:00 → 11:00)
- Organic farming: How to maintain production (11:00 → 12:00)
- European apricot harvest forecasts (14:00 → 15:00)
- European stone fruit orchards: how to limit erosion (15:00 → 16:00)
medEMPLOI returns in 2026
For the third year running, the medEMPLOI scheme will be back at the show. "Alongside the conference program, it was decided in 2023 that the focus should be on another major issue for the sector: the men and women who bring it to life," explains Catherine Machabert. Launched in 2023, this initiative focuses on the issues surrounding the professions in the fruit and vegetable sector. In 2026, the main theme of medEMPLOI will be the attractiveness of professions and the transformation of skills. "This is a key issue for the future of the sector, because we know that many jobs in the agricultural sector are currently under pressure, and there are also major issues around the age pyramid and the takeover and transfer of farms," she explains. The project is being run in partnership with the Occitania Fruit and Vegetable Federation.
© medFEL
In practical terms, the scheme will feature a dedicated booth, with three 15-minute workshops on Wednesday, April 29th, from 10 to 10.45 am. "Attractiveness of trades to young people", "Attractiveness of the fruit and vegetable sector and perception of trades," and "Attractiveness of trades and know-how transfer mechanisms." A conference will also be held from 11 am to 12 pm on the theme of "Recruitment and artificial intelligence: tools, employer brand and candidate experience."
Finally, the job dating event, organized in partnership with France Travail, will be making a comeback on Tuesday, April 28th. Quick meetings will be organized between companies - operators, directors, or HR managers - who have submitted job offers in advance, and pre-selected candidates.
The medFEL evening
Last year, the show celebrated its 15th anniversary with a special evening event. This year, the event will be extended in a different way. The show will remain open until around 9 pm in order to "extend the points of contact between participants as much as possible," explains Véronique Lemant. At the end of the Grand Débat, a conference will close the day on the theme: "How to capture 100% of potential fruit and vegetable sales," with the participation of Olivier Dauvers, a journalist specializing in consumer affairs and mass retailing.
From May onwards, you can find the peach and nectarine harvest forecasts on FreshPlaza.
