LIBRO-CONGRESO-CITRUS

Global warming and its impact on climate patterns are influencing the availability, cost and yield of fruit and
the increasing impact of disease is a barrier to investment in groves despite high prices and Industry growth.
Add to this the increasing consumer intolerance for agricultural chemical residue at any level and we have a
set of challenges that are truly unique.
Juice is not immune from the Obesity challenge and the Industry is increasingly having to defend its role in
the diet.
Given the rise of social media and social consciousness and the need to deliver on our commitments to
sustainability we must as an industry and as individual companies preserve and nurture our license to operate
in all of the communities that we touch in an extremely complex global supply chain.
Huanglongbing (HLB) is the greatest threat to the future of our industry, affecting not only oranges but all
citrus. But, HLB is not the only threat. Citrus Canker remains a threat, CVC, Tristeza, Sudden Death, fruit flies.
It is essential that our scientists, around the globe, remain committed to research on prevention and cure in
order to safeguard our future. And it is essential that the governments, society and the industry continue to
support the science applied to agriculture and, particularly, to citrus – the biggest item in the whole global
juice Industry. And not only orange: the whole citrus. Science is complex, expensive and challenging but
essential. Gathering such a high number of talented scientists in this International Citrus Congress shows that
the scientific community understands and is up to the challenges – today and in the future.
We need to know where our fruit is coming from and that our agricultural practices are sustainable.
Consumers, NGO’s, governments and the industry will not accept agricultural practices that threaten water
and other natural resources.
We need to work on dealing with our issues and we have to work on marketing our category and the unique
benefits that only juice can offer. It is our responsibility to ensure that the generations to come can enjoy the
benefits of this wonderful natural product.
PC04
Food safety, social compliance and sustainability, in relation to commercial fruit and vegs
strategies with special reference to citrus
Gé Happe
European Sourcing Director Ahold. Zaandam, The Netherlands
Most times, growers blame retailers for their poor revenues (mostly discount chains). But we, as retailer,
face a competitive world. Consumer continuously asks for better prices and higher quality. Now in this time
of crisis, the price factor becomes really important. But to focus only on price can have serious undesirable
consequences. When retailer sells cheaper, he has to buy cheaper. When grower receives lower revenues,
he has to produce cheaper, usually paying less attention to quality as “nobody pays for it”. But when finally
consumer perceives lower quality at shops, he does not like it and does not buy. And all the money invested
in the supply chain, even if lower, gets lost.
Therefore, the model AH has been developing in the latest 50 years is a model of partnership. Quality is a
MUST. But at the same time, teamwork with all players in the supply chain, being directed by the same goal
(consumer satisfaction), allows to look for all possible efficiencies in the chain, to reduce cost and transmit
that effort to consumer. In that sense, consumer is receiving a better quality at a more reasonable price.
However, we are all living in a dynamic context. Citrus varieties evolute and logistics also improve. New
shipping lines arise, more a modern frigo containers appear and new fruit terminals are built in new production
areas. Then it is easier to sell citrus from wherever production area to wherever retailer in the world. That’s
globalization and nobody can stop it. We are selling at winter time nearly all our citrus from Spain. And we
have to face the concurrence of other retailers selling from other production areas in the Mediterranean. As
retailer, we (AH) apply strict policies in food safety and social compliance, so all growers from wherever origin
can compete on equal conditions. We understand that reduction of pesticides has an implicit cost. Social
Security, safety at work, working in legal and reasonable conditions have costs. But citrus is synonymous of
6 - VALENCIA CONFERENCE CENTER, 18th-23rd NOVEMBER 2012