DOSK, AFG and World Wide Fruit join forces with Vog and Vip to bolster European production of the apple variety
Cosmic Crisp has embarked on the latest phase of its European development by announcing three new licensing partners in Germany, Austria and the UK. They join Italy’s Vog and Vip consortiums, the first to bring the apple to Europe.
The new partners are: Germany’s Deutsches Obst-Sorten Konsortium (DOSK), consisting of Elbe Obst and Obst vom Bodensee, Austria Fruit Group (AFG) and the UK’s World Wide Fruit.
Announcing the news at this week’s Fruit Logistica, the apple brand said expanding its European network would strengthen its brand presence in the premium segment, take advantage of synergies, and guarantee the strategic growth of production aimed at the Europe market. By 2029, it hopes to have 1,200ha of production in Europe.
“The market will benefit from excellent coverage thanks to the combination of local products -– from Germany, Austria and the UK – with the produce of South Tyrol, which will remain the cornerstone of the project,” it said, adding that Italy would continue to coordinate and manage the European network via Alpoma, the producer organisation that includes Vog and Vip.
“When we decided to bring Cosmic Crisp to Europe, we immediately understood the potential of this apple,” said Walter Pardatscher, CEO of Alpoma. “Thanks to its unique flavour and brand identity, it was able to rewrite the rules of the game in different European countries, firmly establishing itself in the premium category. With the addition of quality partners like DOSK, AFG and World Wide Fruit, we are ready to consolidate and ramp up the development of this incredible project with even greater conviction.”
Alpoma’s branding manager, Clemens Hafner, added: “Our new partners bring to the table excellent local growing conditions and in-depth apple marketing experience in the premium segment. Thanks to their contribution, Cosmic Crisp will be able to grow beyond the borders of South Tyrol and become a coordinated brand project at European level, with common standards and objectives”.
Andreas Berg, managing director DOSK, commented: “We, DOSK and its shareholders, have decided to get involved in the Cosmic Crisp project because we are convinced that we can provide retailers with value-adding product range components in addition to basic supplies, and of course also with the promise of unique quality”.
Roland Rosenzopf, managing director of AFG, commented: “We believe the future belongs to apple varieties with outstanding taste and consistency. This is why we invest in Cosmic Crisp, a premium club variety offering exceptional flavour, high quality, excellent storage and strong consumer recognition, supported by a well-structured club system that creates value along the entire supply chain. It’s not just a product, but a future-oriented concept that aligns perfectly with AFG’s philosophy”.
Finally, Tony Harding, technical and procurement director at World Wide Fruit, said: “We’re excited to partner in developing Cosmic Crisp in Europe. Years of trials have delivered very encouraging results: our climate naturally produces slightly smaller apples with exceptional flavour, rich colour, and excellent storage. We’ve also tested our market and customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We look forward to developing this exceptional variety together”.
Germany, Austria and the UK are not the only European countries involved in the development projects of the Cosmic Crisp network: partners in France, Benelux and Switzerland are testing the variety with the aim of beginning production in the next few years.
