The 2018 edition of the PMA Fresh Connections kicked off in Pretoria in resolutely upbeat mood, despite uncertainty on the matter of land reform, amid a reaffirmation of the fresh produce industry’s cardinal role in the welbeing of the nation. PMA general manager for Southern Africa Lindie Stroebel (right) noted that attendance was well up from last year.Delegates were much amused by the watermelon steaks described in the presentation of Jin Ju Wilder, chairperson of the PMA Global Board of Directors, as she discussed growing trends in agriculture like breeding plants for robotic agriculture, the growth in meal kits, cashierless stores, e-commerce and direct delivery of fresh produce to customers (some companies in China promising a delivery time of between one and 29 minutes!). She told how scientists are putting together ‘climate recipes’ through data analysis of growing conditions to create more flavourful plants.
There is a global shift towards diets with more plant-based protein (not yet evident in the conference catering). “Our big challenge is that consumers are looking everywhere but in the produce section for plant-based protein,” she said, noting that Pinterest users are saving 52% more vegan recipes.
Food and its styling is a big driver of social media interactions, and food videos are, she said, the most popular videos on Facebook. “Fresh produce provides a sense of connectedness and we need to figure out how to make fresh produce part of everyday living.”
Lauren Scott, PMA chief marketing officer (right), also took up the theme of social media, noting that restaurant visits are on average 20 minutes longer as patrons photograph their food, which has become a measure of a dish’s success. “Eating fruit and vegetables is the easiest thing you can do to live a full and vibrant life,” she told delegates. The results of a large qualitative study among consumers conducted by the PMA in the US and South Africa led them to create a taxonomy of food association for fresh produce with segments like 'revitalising' or 'dependable', apart from the expected 'healthy'. The fresh produce industry needs to dig deeper when branding food, she said, thinking wider than just the health benefits. Avocados have, in her opinion, ”done a brilliant job in breaking out of the health space” and they have become part of popular culture.
In a discussion on the importance of fresh produce in retail, James Lonsdale, national fresh produce manager at Spar, illustrated how the formal retail sector can support emerging black farmers while addressing food insecurity (less than half the South African population is food secure). Spar’s Rural Hub scheme identifies areas with high agricultural potential, the presence of emerging farmers as well as the availability of technical support and Spar stores to localise supply and distribution. As an example, he told delegates about the Spar in Letsitele, a small town in northeastern Limpopo Province. Letsitele-grown fresh produce used to first get sent to a distribution centre in Nelspruit, more than 250km away, before going back to Letsitele to be sold. Now, as far as possible, produce remain close to its origin, reducing logistics costs, carbon emissions, food prices and in the process giving emerging black farmers an outlet.
Among those attending are delegates from the USA visiting South African citrus producers to tentatively prepare the ground for the anticipated (but not yet finalised) opening up of the American market to citrus from South Africa’s summer rainfall areas.
The current claim that the Kenyan avocado export industry is now bigger than the South African one was met with some amusement, especially in view of the size of this year’s crop. “There’s no way that is possible,” remarked a top official in the South African avocado industry, a view echoed by other avocado exporters, some of whom noted that actual figures of Kenyan exports aren’t easy to come by, given the fragmentation of that industry.