New technologies could transform fruit and veg supply, but the business must overcome its damaging perception problem
Horticulture has a major problem: while producing some of the healthiest foods on the planet, it suffers from one of the weakest public images. As a result, people around the world still do not consume nearly enough fruits and vegetables.
That’s the paradox highlighted by the FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu at last month’s International Horticultural Congress in Japan.
Horticultural crops account for almost a quarter of global agricultural production value, about US$1.4tn, despite occupying a relatively small share of agricultural land.
Despite this, I should add, policymakers tend to focus on grains, oilseeds, meat and dairy, often overlooking fresh produce. Although, in some cases, that may actually be a blessing in disguise.
Food safety, labelling, and packaging regulations are frequently designed around processed foods. This often creates unintended disadvantages for fresh fruits and vegetables, a point repeatedly highlighted by Freshfel Europe.
Perhaps the most encouraging message from Dr Qu’s speech was that the future of horticulture lies in combining innovation with practical solutions that farmers can adopt and benefit from.
I fully agree. For the past 23 years, I have focused on innovations in horticultural production and trade.
The pace of technological progress today is remarkable. We now have subsurface drip irrigation, drones, robots, weather stations equipped with sophisticated sensors, improved crop protection solutions, and rapidly advancing bioprotection technologies.
These innovations not only help reduce production risks, but also lessen the environmental footprint of horticulture, making production and trade more sustainable and more resilient.
Lower risks improve access to finance, which in turn helps farmers invest, expand production and ultimately make fresh produce more affordable for consumers.
I am glad that FAO and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development continue to support such initiatives across our regions, recognising the strategic importance of horticulture.
I am equally glad to be leading exciting projects in Morocco, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine and beyond.
Andriy Yarmak is an agricultural economist with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), specialising in agribusiness, food value chains and international agricultural markets.
