vegetables

34Searching for vegetable innovationR&DMarket &Value ChainDevelopmentR&DConsumerAlignmentMARKET RESEARCHER EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL RECENTLY CONDUCTED AGLOBAL SCAN OF VEGETABLE INNOVATIONS IN FRESH AND MINIMALLY PROCESSEDVEGETABLES, IN A BID TO HELP AUSTRALIAN GROWERS DIFFERENTIATE THEMSELVES.For Australian grownproduce to remain relevantin the face of the increasedavailability, flow and competitionof the globalised vegetablemarketplace, Australia’s growersmay need to continuously adoptinnovative, new technologies toenhance the superior quality oftheir vegetables.This was one of the keyfindings in research conductedby Euromonitor Internationalfrom April 2014 to January2015, in conjunction withHorticulture Innovation AustraliaLimited (HIA) and AUSVEG.The project aimed to identifynew and commercially viableapproaches for the Australianvegetable industry to enhanceits overall competitiveness.These findings are detailedin the report, Global scan forvegetable innovation – Freshand minimally processedvegetables.“Competition from Asianmarkets, due to theunparalleled rise in agriculturaloutput, high productivity andthe wide availability of arableland for vegetable production,has reduced the overallattractiveness of Australianproduce,” EuromonitorInternational project leaderUmesh Madhavan explained.“However, key characteristicsobserved across Asiasuggest that Australiangrown vegetables can remaincompetitive and retain theirstrong value proposition throughthe selective adoption ofinnovations detailed within thisstudy.”Asian marketplaceAsia consists of diverse countrymarkets and consumergroups, and it is this marketdiversity that is likely tocreate demand for vegetableinnovations, through strongersupply chains that are drivenby the proliferation of moderngrocery retailing channels in bothdeveloped and developing Asianeconomies.Given the rise of the new richin Asia, the region is fosteringa burgeoning culture of healthconsciousness, with higherqualityvegetables, fresherand healthier ingredients andmore environmentally-friendlypackaging ranking highly amongconsumer priorities.So what does this all mean forAustralian vegetable growers?The research shortlistedseveral innovations that are bestsuited for Australian fresh andminimally processed vegetableswithin Asian markets. Thisincluded:• Micro-perforations.• Compostable packaging andlabelling.• Recycled materials forpackaging.• Peel-and-reseal lidding films.• Ethylene scavengers.• “Bibimbap” packaging.• Quick Response (QR) codeson vegetable packaging.• Living salads.• Fresh vegetable snackpacks.• Microgreens.Key themes that emergewithin these recommendationsare the importance oflonger shelf life, extendedfreshness, protecting theintegrity of the vegetablesthrough effective post-harvestpackaging, reduced coststhough the supply chain and/or manufacturing process,increased resonance withenvironmentally-conscious