“Lifestyle and education have a lot to do with this decline in consumption”

The consumption of fruit and vegetables in Europe has decreased by 5% and in Spain, no more and no less, by 13% from 2021 to 2022, according to Freshfel data. Inflation has certainly been a brake on this decline in consumption, but I think it is not the main one. In my opinion, There is an important educational component. Gradually and almost without realizing it, social habits, the way of eating at home and the way of preparing dishes at home have changed in recent decades. Before, cooking was done from scratch, with fresh ingredients, and this way of doing things was passed down within the family.

Nowadays, the majority of boys and girls in this country eat at school and, at home, due to lack of time, the consumption of ready-made products has grown. That educational factor and transmission of good eating habits has been lost.

Another interesting note that appears reflected in the consumption report recently presented by the Ministry of Agriculture is that There is a whole generation of “senior” consumers who have strong cultural roots in this sense.who have always trusted good nutrition because it is what they have learned since they were children, but this generation is disappearing little by little.

We must educate and train the consumer, the young consumer and the consumers of the future so that, from the base, they understand that eating well, in a balanced way and with fresh products is health.

Education and current lifestyle have a lot to do with this decline. On the part of the Administration, It would be very interesting if the subject of Nutrition were introduced in schools, to train the child population so that they know the importance of what they eat on their health. and understand that fresh products are the basis of a good diet.

On the part of operators in the sector, we have to exploit creativity more, adapt our formats to new times. For example, if the trend is that a significant percentage of consumption occurs outside the home, offer healthy alternatives that contain a high percentage of fruits and vegetables in their preparation, in addition to those that can already be found on the shelves.

Promotion
Brands and communication are great prescribers. Being present in the consumer’s mind when they are going to buy is essential, and that can only be achieved with good communication and marketing campaigns. If we are not present, other substitute products occupy those spaces. The Love-Klabaza association, for example, has known how to communicate, approach the public, and especially children, through games and creative preparations, activities, contests, aligning itself with boys and girls by speaking to them in their language… all that movement is making the person responsible for purchasing at home take pumpkin into account in their weekly menus.

But, of course, we will have more opportunities if we unite. The visibility of brands is becoming less and less in the markets, and legislation makes it difficult because it is prohibiting packaging.which are the only system that production companies have to communicate with the consumer at the point of sale. This causes many brands to back off when carrying out promotional campaigns, because they do not see an impact on the market in terms of results on the investments they make.

Even so, it is very important not to throw in the towel, and if the campaigns cannot be brand-oriented, they must at least be product-oriented. In any case, it is essential that fruits and vegetables are present in the consumer’s daily life through communication, either at the point of sale or through marketing campaigns. Because, if not, you opt for other options.

Fruits and vegetables have many consumption options, but unfortunately they are not fashionable. The sector has not evolved much with the times and does not offer current alternatives for the consumer. You have to look for creative proposals. In recent times, with the appearance of new and simpler appliances that facilitate the preparation of recipes, there is a trend on social networks of original and healthy preparations, with uses for fruits and vegetables different from those we traditionally knew.

We must take note of these trends and join them to help boost consumption among young people, who are very active on networks.

Another variable must be taken into account, and that is some industrialized products appropriate the attributes of fruits and vegetablesand this is what they communicate, generating a false feeling in the consumer that they are including these foods in their diet through the consumption of these products, when in reality this is not the case, nothing replaces fresh fruit and vegetable products. In short, union is an imperative. Proof of this is that when the sector has carried it out, the results have been excellent.
ecological line

Without a doubt, Organic production is ideal for improving the ecosystem, as it is a form of cultivation that is more in line with the regeneration of the planet and sustainability. However, productivities are lower, so the cost of producing for the farmer is higher, which has an impact on sales prices, at a time as inflationary as the one we are experiencing. Consumers are filling their shopping baskets with more affordable products. That being said, I think that Bio has not peaked nor has it disappeared. It is necessary to stimulate salescommunicate to the consumer the benefits of the organic product for being a greener and more environmentally friendly form of cultivation, something that society connects with because it is one of its concerns.