Freshfel, the fledgling European Fresh Produce Association, is looking for greater retail participation, said retail division chairman Marc De Naeyer of FTK Holland.

'There is a growing realisation that we need to work more closely together,' De Naeyer added. 'There is no longer and us and them attitude. Our main aim is to create a vertically-integrated forum for the whole industry, with retailer participation similar to what has been achieved by the PMA in the US. We will set up an agenda on non-competitive issues and facilitate dialogue on issues such as food safety, promotions, logistics, supply chain data and market data, throughout the supply chain.

'We have an opportunity now to proactively develop schemes and to lobby Brussels as an industry rather than acting reactively and waiting for people to tell us what we should do.' He said that progress has been made in the first 10 months of the association, but there is a long way still to go. 'It is a case of changing the mindset of the industry and it takes time to change attitudes. We all have common aims and should leave our egos outside the door and work much more closely. The retailer must realise that we (the growers and suppliers) are critical to their success, and that without retail input, this forum is not a forum.'

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