In the realm of fruit and vegetable businesses, 2024 is poised to bring its own set of challenges, as the industry continues to navigate a turbulent path. Maersk Cold Chain experts recently participated in Fruit Attraction 2023, a premier event in Europe’s fruit and vegetable sector. During the event, we engaged industry experts to shed light on the key obstacles that fruit and vegetable businesses are likely to encounter in the coming year, and how they can best prepare to meet these challenges head-on.

1. Climate Change Impacts Food Production & Security:
   • The UN has identified climate change as the largest threat ever experienced by the world.
   • The global food cold chain alone contributes to 1% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
   • Rising temperatures, pest proliferation, changes in rainfall, and shifts in pollinator distribution could disrupt food production.
   • Increased atmospheric CO2 concentrations may boost yields at lower temperatures but diminish nutritional value.
   • Efficient solutions include addressing food waste, upcycling ‘ugly’ produce, and creating soups or sauces, a market projected to reach USD 97 billion by 2031.
2. Consumer Trends Towards Food Traceability:
   • Consumers increasingly seek transparency in food production.
   • Stronger traceability regulations are emerging.
   • Blockchain technology ensures unaltered information and helps supply chain stakeholders meet regulations.
3. Adapting to Rapid Demand Fluctuations:
   • Retailers require agile supply chains to respond promptly to shifts in demand.
   • Rapid adaptation is critical to avoid revenue loss or market entry delays.
   • The ‘bullwhip effect’ amplifies reactions across supply chains.
   • Digitization of the supply chain improves adaptability by providing asset tracking and inventory management data.
4. Agriculture Regulation Changes:
   • Significant changes include the EU’s Soil Monitoring Law, eco-labels for food products, and nutrition scoring systems.
   • Compliance with evolving regulations is a significant challenge.
5. Fragmented Cold Chains Pose Risks:
   • Complex, multi-party cold chains increase the risk of errors and inefficiencies.
   • Poor communication can lead to delays or temperature deviations.
   • Regional regulation compliance and carbon footprint tracking are complicated without end-to-end visibility.
   • Uninterrupted cold chains managed by a single partner reduce errors and inefficiencies.
   • Digitalization streamlines administrative processes, enhancing efficiency.
   • Intelligent cold chain systems provide real-time data, early warnings, and enhanced control.

In the face of forthcoming challenges and opportunities, one thing is clear: fruit and vegetable businesses require comprehensive visibility and control. With over 250 years of reefer expertise, Maersk designs fully integrated cold chain solutions to meet the unique needs of the industry. If you missed the chance to connect with our Cold Chain experts at Fruit Attraction 2023, you can still schedule a meeting to explore tailored solutions for your specific requirements.