At Globally Cool, we believe in staying ahead of the curve by gathering first-hand market intelligence. In February 2025, our export marketing consultant Warner, set off on a journey through two of Europe’s most important trade fairs: FRUIT LOGISTICA in Berlin and BIOFACH in Nuremberg. These visits provided valuable insights for our ongoing studies for the Centre for the Promotion of Imports (CBI), focusing on fresh fruits and vegetables as well as spices and herbs, grains, pulses, and oilseeds.
Fresh produce trends: what’s shaping the market in 2025?
From 5–7 February 2025, Warner attended FRUIT LOGISTICA, the world’s leading trade fair for fresh produce. The fruit and vegetable industry is experiencing a continuous transformation as new trends influence supply and demand. While classic fruits like bananas, citrus, and apples remain important, premium fruits such as avocados and berries are taking over.
- Mexico is rapidly increasing avocado and berry production to serve the booming U.S. market.
- Peru has doubled its grape and blueberry exports in just five years, focusing on Europe and the U.S.
- New players like Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Egypt, and South Africa are entering the blueberry market, increasing competition.
One of the biggest surprises in fresh produce is durian. This tropical fruit has seen an incredible 25% annual export growth since 2018, with Thailand leading exports—mostly to China.
Meanwhile, countries in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Türkiye, Israel, Morocco, and Egypt, are expanding their fresh produce exports to Europe. Their shipments have grown by 6% per year, reaching 1.75 million tonnes in 2023.
Warner connected with more than 30 sector peers at FRUIT LOGISTICA to gain deeper insights into these and other trends. His findings will enhance our CBI fresh fruits and vegetables market reports, providing businesses with up-to-date information on market opportunities.
The biggest trends in organic food
Continuing his research, Warner attended BIOFACH 2025 in Nuremberg from 11–14 February, the world’s leading organic food trade fair. This year’s event focused on two key consumer trends:
- Finding balance: pleasure vs. sustainability
People want food that tastes good and offers variety, but they also care about sustainability. However, with rising prices, shoppers are now prioritizing taste and affordability over environmental impact. Still, they expect brands to be honest and show real commitment to sustainability. Organic companies must now find a way to balance great-tasting products with strong environmental values.
- The next generation of plant-based foods
Plant-based eating is evolving. Consumers, especially flexitarians, want plant-based foods that offer amazing flavours—whether they taste like meat or bring completely new taste experiences. This means organic brands need to get creative and develop products that go beyond simple meat substitutes.
Turning insights into action
With these fresh and organic market insights, our next step is to translate them into actionable market studies for CBI. These reports will help businesses navigate the European market, discover new opportunities, and align with changing consumer preferences.
Stay tuned for the release of these studies! In the meantime, if you want to learn more about international market trends and how they can help your business, reach out to us.