For the first time, Fruitnet's new interview podcast series Fruitbox is available on Apple Podcasts, bringing it to a much larger potential audience of fresh produce industry professionals.

Hosted by Fruitnet's Chris White, the podcast is recorded twice weekly and features down-the-line interviews with leading members of the international fresh fruit and vegetable business.

Not surprisingly, the first three episodes have all focused on what's been happening in the world of fresh produce supply as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

In Episode 1, my colleague Maura Maxwell and I spoke to Chris about the impact of Covid-19 on the European market, discussing the trade's reaction to a sudden shift in demand away from foodservice, catering and wholesale towards the supermarkets and other retail outlets.

Then in the second edition of Fruitbox, we heard about the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis from David Smith, a leading industry consultant based in Shanghai.

Published today, Episode 3 features two Italians with first-hand experience of what's been happening in the country's fruit and vegetable business over the past few weeks.

Rita Biserni, international marketing manager for Italy's largest fruit and veg supplier Alegra, and Fabio Zanesco, sales manager at leading apple marketer VIP Val Venosta, both explain how major disruption caused by the pandemic has required a huge amount of resilience, versatility and creativity on the part of fresh produce companies.

The crisis, they say, has also underscored the fruit and veg industry's ability to guaranteee safe and secure supply of products that are essential to people's health and wellbeing, something which was perhaps overlooked until very recently.

'This has been somehow the victory of ordinary people, whose work is often taken for granted,' comments Biserni.

To listen to the podcast and previous episodes, click on the Soundcloud player below.

Or alternatively, you can subscribe for free to the Fruitbox podcast using any of the following platforms: