Recruitment is one of the fresh produce sector’s longest standing problems. Almost a decade and a half after I first wrote about this industry, the question of how to find, employ and retain hard-working, quality young people is still causing it a sizeable headache. I suspect it’s also a concern in other fresh sectors, including fish, dairy and livestock. The perception in particular that working at the horticultural end of the supply chain demands comparatively longer hours for smaller rewards than in other categories of food is partly responsible for this issue – so too is the often held view that growing and selling fruit and vegetables is a far-from-sexy job.
To an extent, the industry can blame itself for these lingering, inaccurate opinions about how attractive the fresh produce sector really is. The rise of multiple food retailing effectively cut farming off from its consumers, and the mutual understanding – of growers’ produce and customers’ demands – that they got from face-to-face contact at the market stall has been badly missed. Since then, fresh fruit and vegetables have lagged some way behind other foods in telling their stories and highlighting the varieties, seasons and uses that make produce an exciting place to be. In all the attention given to food by celebrity chefs, Michelin-starred restaurants and glossy epicurean magazines, fresh produce ingredients have too often played bit-parts; when they really should have been centre-stage.
But there are also areas where produce seems discriminated against through no fault of its own. In British retailing, for example, anecdotal evidence suggests buying fresh food is viewed as a short-term job, where you cut your teeth before moving onto what is regarded as a more glamorous purchasing role elsewhere in the supermarket. This is baffling, given the importance most chains place on excelling in fresh produce. There are good exceptions, where retailers have developed experienced buying teams and, in doing so, have achieved superb results in fresh. Meanwhile, the industry has re-established a productive dialogue with its customers, researching what they want to eat and how; and responding to their findings with new products, pack formats and campaigns that cater for these needs. The raft of new branded fresh produce lines reflects the progress the sector has made in identifying and communicating USPs.
However, negative perceptions remain and the industry must tackle these if it is to attract and retain the outstanding young people it needs to secure a prosperous future. Initiatives such as Fresh Inspirations, due to be launched in the UK next year, will help. The event has been put together to enable young managers in the fresh produce and horticulture industries to network with one another and benefit from mentoring by professionals working in sectors from production to imports, from retail to marketing. The event is aimed at, but not exclusive to, managers between the ages of 18 and 35 and takes place in Huntingdon on 26 January.
Back in 1998, one of my first assignments as a fresh produce journalist saw me attending a conference session involving Dave Matthews of UK-based Bristol Fruit Sales, who opened and closed with the same declaration: “I am passionate about fresh fruit and vegetables.” That pronouncement struck me; in spite of already having worked numerous years in produce, he was still so enthusiastic about the industry. Today, I can understand his enthusiasm better. There is no other business as vibrant, diverse and exciting as this one. Communicate this well and it will pay dividends in securing the next generation of fresh produce recruits.
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