Europe’s biggest fresh apple marketer Vog puts its faith in the value of people, as it looks towards a more sustainable future in its home region South Tyrol
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One thing that has changed significantly in the EU apple and pear market over the past decade is the volume of fresh fruit imported from overseas. Figures presented by the EC in September 2022 reflect a long-term decrease in both categories. For apples, the EU received a lot less from New Zealand (-39 per cent), Brazil (-71 per cent), Argentina (-48 per cent), and the UK (-75 per cent) in 2021/22 compared with the 20216-20 average. South Africa saw an increase, but Chile’s exports to the EU are also notably lower on average than they used to be. The same is true in pears, although the trend is less obvious. There were signs in 2021/22 that South Africa might ship a similar volume to the EU as it did a decade ago, but this season it expects a further 16 per cent decline. And for most of the past ten years, Argentina’s pear exports to the bloc have been around half what they were in 2012. Certainly with apples, one of the big factors here is the demand that now exists in Asia. UN Comtrade data shows that, in 2022, New Zealand’s apple exports to China and Hong Kong were worth US$149.8m and US$32.8m respectively. In 2010, its sales to China were not even 10 per cent of that number. Other Southern Hemisphere exporters like South Africa, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil have also grown their business in the region, as have Europe’s own exporters. And if, as expected, demand in Asia continues to grow, this will be of great value in Europe.
For apple and pear marketers in Europe, the importance of those emerging consumer markets elsewhere in the world is arguably greater than ever before
LEFT—Vog’s member growers have planted new varieties with the potential to have an impact on international markets
RIGHT—The company’s new aroma wheel gives consumers more information about varieties
BOTTOM RIGHT—A large proportion of Vog’s apple production base is now protected by hail nets
On the eve of another crucial marketing season for Europe’s largest fresh apple marketer Vog, we speak to the group’s marketing manager Hannes Tauber, sales manager Klaus Hölzl, and chief executive officer Walter Pardatscher about the commercial opportunities and challenges ahead.
by Mike Knowles @mikefruitnetAs Vog approaches another apple season, what marketing campaigns does it have up its sleeve?
Hannes Tauber: We will continue our generic communication for Marlene, which is I Am Marlene, Daughter of the Alps, to tell consumers about the diversity of our different apple varieties. We will keep telling them about Südtirol, its climate and its growers.
But structured, target-oriented
communication is becoming more important. This means having a clear idea who your consumers are, and what product characteristics our brands offer them.
For example, we are doing a lot of campaigns for Envy in Italy where the apple is a high-end product, the highlight at the end of a five-course menu. There are so many values that consumers can experience in an apple, if it is presented well and in the right condition.
There has always been a question mark around the affordability of such promotions. Can these apple brands afford them?
HT: Of course, you need to have a certain volume to afford communications that are either local, national or international. You cannot have a branded variety with an international focus where the volume is just a couple of thousand tonnes. Based on the number of trees we have planted, our new projects like Giga, RedPop and Cosmic Crisp can have an international impact.
Walter Pardatscher: Our structure as a consortium is also important. We represent more than 4,600 family farms and every euro we spend has to be a long-term investment that keeps apple consumption high.
Consumers need to understand that what they pay for an apple maintains a value chain that starts with the farmer. So we need to invest in marketing and communications, not just price promotions. If we don't
“Growers must continue to invest in innovation, and we need consumers to be satisfied so they buy apples again and again”
do that, it will be very difficult to get consumers to spend the right amount.
Hannes, can you give us some examples of how you will approach consumers this season?
HT: We are going to talk about the ‘aroma wheel’, which explains the characteristics of individual varieties and their differences. Every consumer can pick their ideal apple based on taste, texture, and aroma.
It can be a challenge to communicate such detail, but we think it is good for consumers to understand there is a difference, for example between the taste of Granny Smith and Gala. With more information, we can tell a story and increase the product’s value.
We will also change the way we do supermarket tastings. We will go into more detail and explain how to taste not just a single variety but different Marlene varieties. We will ask shoppers if they prefer sweet or sour, crunchy or more juicy, more tropical or greenish aromas. Easy questions and quick interactions that create interest, dialogue and awareness.
Behind all this marketing, of course, is Vog itself. How is the company organising itself to deliver on these brand promises?
WP: Working together within a large structure, collaborating and cooperating – this is really the basis of everything. If the grower is happy and the consumer is happy, it means everybody along the value chain – cooperatives, logistics companies, retailers, importers, distributors, and us at Vog – has done a good job.
Growers must continue to invest in innovation, replanting,
product availability. And at the same time we need consumers to be satisfied so they buy apples at the right price again and again.
This is why we call Vog 'Home of apples’. We work with more than 4,600 very small family farms who joined together to ensure the success of future generations. They are the experts. They know how to grow the best apples and choose the right varieties for the right conditions.
Klaus Hölzl: Once the product is picked, the cooperatives take over. They store, sort and pack the product. Then it goes to the production team, quality assurance, marketing, sales, and logistics companies. We work for all eleven cooperatives and the sales are centralised, and in future this will be crucial. Product availability is becoming more and more important, while logistics and having the right quality have become big challenges. So being service-oriented and working strategically with our clients are now essential.
You mention availability, Klaus, and I know that yearround supply is really important these days. How are your growers managing to guarantee that constant flow of product?
KH: We have a large part of our production covered by hail nets. This gives our retailers and partners an assurance that the risk of not having product available is minimised. With a natural product like apples, you need to invest heavily in hail protection.
The same goes for frost irrigation. We can cover most of the main affected areas, but it depends a lot on water availability. We are blessed with the right conditions to have enough water throughout the year, but it’s a precious resource. We use a lot more drip irrigation now, which is far more efficient.
Sustainability is a major challenge not just in production of course, but across the whole supply chain. How do you see this and its effect on your own busines?
WP: It is a very complicated and diverse topic. We try to produce the best product we can, a healthy product that satisfies the consumer but also corresponds to international and national laws. That has become more challenging and bureaucratic, although it’s understandable that we need to be
very transparent to ensure product safety and quality.
Of course, the use of treatments is a challenging topic, especially when it comes to communication. Modern horticulture does use them, because it needs to protect plants, to keep its business intact, and to produce safe, quality fruit.
But their use is very strictly and heavily regulated. We follow national and international law as all other growers and producers do. At the same time, though, we try to work towards even more sustainable agriculture.
It can be difficult to introduce new laws, but in the long term we do understand. Certification like GlobalGAP and other projects like South Tyrolean joint venture sustainapple help maintain equilibrium and balance.
We need to work together –retailers, growers consumers, politicians – to find workable solutions for everybody. We will lose competitiveness if we don't find a common understanding on how European agriculture works.
Presumably packaging is another area where a regulatory approach to sustainability can be hard for apple growers to adopt immediately?
HT: That’s right. Fruit and vegetables compete against other products, but how can we win this battle if we lose the abillity to communicate on our product? Packaging is essential, but it’s under threat in different ways in France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. At international level, we need to find and maintain common ground.
“We need to work together –retailers, growers consumers, politicians – to find workable solutions for everybody”
with around 12m tonnes and 2m tonnes respectively. This year’s forecast will be influenced by several factors, including climatic conditions, which every year are more and more important and challenging to mitigate.
The apple and pear sector is one of the world’s most dynamic and buoyant. It encompasses a broad diversity of international and domestic varieties, enhanced by newer club varieties, growth in the organic segment, and other valuedriven EU quality schemes such as the PGI and PDO denominations of origin.
Apples and pears also present many nutritional, health and environmental benefits. These make both categories, along with fruits and vegetables, a perfect asset for those wanting to promote the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork strategy, the EU’s Beating Cancer plan, and more plant-based diets.
Prognosfruit is the world’s leading annual event for the apple and pear sector, and the undisputed place to learn about the latest commercial trends in both categories. It is also backed by a very long tradition, having been on the industry agenda in the first week of August for 48 years.
The event returns to Trentino on 2-4 August 2023, one of Europe’s leading regions for apple production, and is hosted by the Association of Producers of Trentino with support from Wapa and the Italian apple and pear association Assomela.
As is tradition, Wapa will use the conference to announce apple and pear production forecasts for the upcoming season. It will also summarise the anticipated market trends in the EU and more generally across the Northern Hemisphere.
This complements the Southern Hemisphere apple
and pear forecast, which Wapa releases every February at Fruit Logistica.
Providing reliable data, plus analysis of what lies behind it, is one of the major reasons behind Prognosfruit’s success, alongside its status as a unique networking opportunity. The conference brings together around 300 industry leaders – among them producers, processors and traders – from various European countries and beyond.
Apples and pears represent the EU fresh produce sector’s largest category by volume,
This year’s Prognosfruit includes a session dedicated to promoting the value of these assets along the supply chain to retailers and consumers.
After last season was influenced by the inflationary cost of things like production inputs, energy, logistics, and wages, as well as pressure on consumer purchasing power, the new campaign looks promising.
Led by Fruitnet’s Mike Knowles, moderator of Prognosfruit 2023, we will be in Trentino to debate the latest opportunities and challenges, and to identify the major drivers that will shape the 2023/24 apple and pear season.
This year’s annual meeting of the apple and pear industry offers a valuable opportunity to put Europe’s largest produce category by volume on a path to further growth.
PHILIPPE BINARD General delegate Freshfel Europe
About six months have passed since leading apple marketer Vip, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Cooperatives of Val Venosta, embarked on a new strategy and centralised its product marketing.
According to its new head of sales and marketing Kurt Ratschiller and production director Peter Stricker, this was an extremely positive move.
“I am firmly convinced that the centralisation of sales in the Vip Group was the right decision,” says Ratschiller. For Stricker, it was a move borne of necessity: “The growing complexity of our business had made it necessary to adapt our way of managing production and sales,” he explains.
The new strategy is allowing member cooperatives to focus entirely on their production, while
Vip headquarters concentrates fully on the marketing. “For customers, the most noticeable change was that sales people can visit customers more often and are more attentive to their needs,” explains Ratschiller.
That proximity is paying off. This year, new export channels have apparently opened for traditional varieties like Fuji or Braeburn, for organic apples, and managed varieties – the latter even with customers who previously showed little interest.
“The new varieties, the club apples and the organic ones have grown steadily over the years, and must be properly presented to the customer,” Ratschiller comments. “To do this, you need the seller’s time and knowhow on the one hand, and good marketing support on the other.”
Stricker says the complication of having multiple packhouses has been overcome thanks to the new central sales office, where orders are planned before they are processed at six different packaging stations.
“In the past,” he observes, “every single cooperative carried out everything under one roof, from programming to processing to sales. With centralisation, we can be more present and stronger on the market.”
Of course, good internal communication and accurate stock monitoring are essential. Production and sales managers are tasked with maintaining a steady flow of information between headquarters and associated cooperatives. Stricker himself remains in constant contact with both the sales team and the respective cooperative managers. For his part, Ratschiller and his team share a monthly market report with the cooperatives at board meetings. And there is an app for that. Launched last year, the platform is now used to keep Vip’s 1,600 growers informed and involved. In a digital world, that togetherness is even more vital.
OP Nordest’s Gli Orti di Giulietta Bio brand looks well placed to take advantage of continued growth in demand across European markets this season.
by Mike Knowles @mikefruitnetItalian producer organisation Nordest says it has high expectations for the start of its organic apple campaign and specifically its brand Gli Orti di Giulietta Bio.
Harvesting in its orchards, which are located around Verona in the north-east of Italy, was due to begin in late July. Starting with the early variety Gala, the picking process continues until October.
What to expect from this coming season? The company’s commercial manager Luigi Frigo says efforts to protect the group’s organic apple production against the elements and against pests have enabled it to predict crop volume with greater accuracy.
“The yield, with regard to quantity, will meet last year’s parameters,” he suggests. “We anticipate high product quality, thanks to the practices implemented by many of our associated companies: carefully placed anti-hail and anti-insect nets that protect against both adverse weather and damage caused by insects, primarily the
BELOW—Prices for organic apples in the European market are said to be “encouraging”
Luca Zaglio (pictued below) has taken over as general director at Trentino apple associations Melinda, La Trentina, and Apot. He replaces Paolo Gerevini, who after almost seven years in charge has started a new job as general manager of MelindaLab, the group’s processed apple product development arm.
“The trust expressed is a source of pride for me, and I would like to thank the company for offering me this great opportunity,” Zaglio commented ahead of his appointment. ”The challenges that await us are as difficult as they are stimulating, and I am sure that we will be able to face them together in the best possible way.”
Ernesto Seppi, president of Consorzio Melinda, praised Gerevini’s contribution. “During his tenure, Paolo has made an exceptional contribution to the growth of the company. For this we are and will always be deeply grateful.”
codling month and the brown marmorated stink bug.”
Frigo is also encouraged by a recent increase in market prices, which he says have been driven by lower stocks, and by resilient consumer demand. “This leads to the expectation that we will start the new campaign with our stock practically sold out,” he reveals. “An excellent condition to support sales of the new harvest.”
Gli Orti di Giulie a Bio’s organic apples are marketed on the Danish, German, French and Italian markets. Looking ahead to the future, OP Nordest plans to expand its sales to other territories in other parts of Europe.
He also welcomed Zaglio on behalf of the board: “Luca expresses all those qualities that have always been the basis of our work. His contribution will be decisive in order to better face the challenges that await us: from consolidating our market position to strengthening an increasingly sustainable production model.”
all the fresh, wholesome goodness of Verona’s fruit and vegetables to the supermarket shelves and to your table!
Latest addition to T&G’s premium apple portfolio will be trialled in New Zealand over the next three years, and extended to other countries in the next five to six years.
by Liam O’Callaghan @liamfruitnetT&G Global has launched Joli, a new global premium apple variety, which joins the company’s established portfolio of Envy and Jazz apple brands.
Joli, which consumers will be able to enjoy from 2028 onwards, was developed in New Zealand over the past ten years. Its breeders describe it as a productive, large, full-flavoured, bright-red and juicy apple.
T&G Global chief executive Gareth Edgecombe said Joli harnessed New Zealand’s great intellectual property and suggested its addition to the company’s premium apple portfolio will help build a stronger horticulture sector.
“New Zealand has an enviable global reputation for innovating, developing and sourcing the world’s best plant genetics and growing world-class premium apples, and T&G’s growth strategy is focused on utilising this to create value for our growers, regional communities and economy,” he said.
“This is critical in order to succeed in what is a highly fragmented and commoditised global apple market. The launch of Joli builds off the success of T&G’s premium Envy and Jazz brands, perfectly complementing them by appealing to a different group of global consumers.”
Edgecombe added that Joli would appeal to consumers and growers around the globe. “Joli is an outstanding apple with fantastic a ributes. It’s a bright shiny large red apple, with a full-flavoured balanced sweetness, which bursts with juiciness. Joli’s size and taste profile make it a perfect everyday premium apple for sharing occasions.”
For growers, Joli is said to offer strong a ributes, including high yields and an ability to grow throughout New Zealand. “Furthermore, Joli’s harvest profile balances our premium Jazz and Envy brands, harvesting in mid to late March,” Edgecombe added.
Joli is the latest variety to roll off the production line at VentureFruit, T&G’s IP management and commercialisation business, which has worked closely with innovation company Prevar and Plant & Food Research, whose world-renowned apple breeding programme aims to deliver new varieties that meet future market demand.
In February, VentureFruit unveiled Tu i, a new climate-resistant variety that was the first branded fruit to be released from the Hot Climate Programme, a collaboration between scientists in New Zealand and Spain.
T&G is the global exclusive license holder for growing, marketing and selling Joli, and plans to plant 27ha on its own orchards over the next three years.
The company is also seeking expressions of interest from independent growers across New Zealand to be part of the commercial growing pilot. Over the next five to six years, as additional trees become available, it will extend the opportunity to growers in other countries.
The Polish fresh produce group is named Top Exporter at the Modern Distribution Congress in Warsaw.
by Carl Collen @carlfruitnetRajpol Fruit Producers Group landed the Top Exporter award at this year’s Modern Distribution Congress, which took place in Warsaw on 15 June.
The event covered developments in Polish trade and retail, with topics including the new reality facing the sector, ongoing macroeconomic changes, challenges facing the digitisation of the Polish retail industry and sustainability.
The group was given the award during a gala event that followed the conference programme. Chief executive Hubert Wozniak picked up the Top Exporter award from Lidl Poland president Włodzimierz Wlaźlak.
Wozniak highlighted the importance of cooperation between the 170 fruit growers associated with the Rajpol Group, and expressed his thanks to the company’s employees and customers.
Rajpol, which launched the Pola-brand club apple variety in 2022, produces fruit across some 1,800ha and exports to more than 20 countries.
Dominik Woźniak, vice-president at Rajpol and current president of the World Apple and Pear Association, is looking forward to the 2023/24 campaign after a tricky season last time out. “After a challenging apple season in 2022/23, we look with optimism to the upcoming 2023/24 season,” he tells Eurofruit. “The crop in the orchards of our growers looks promising, and the main apple varieties such as Royal Gala, Golden, Jonaprince and Red Delicious promise good quality.”
Despite problems with a small amount of rain, the size of the apples will be satisfactory, Wozniak confirms. This season, Rajpol plans to maintain and develop the newer sales markets that it began to develop during 2022/23, and is set to cater for a range of customers.
“From the beginning of the season, we plan to be active on many markets, both in Europe and also outside the EU,” Woźniak adds. “This coming season we will be active in India, Asia and Latin America.”
The market calls and Unitec responds.
Apples and pears have historically been the world’s best-known and most-consumed fruits. Nevertheless, recognising the organoleptic characteristics of each fruit is not immediate or possible solely by sight.
For this reason, Unitec, an international company that develops innovative fruit sorting systems, is a winning ally for fruit and vegetable packing houses that want to respond to market demands with the objective to generate customer loyalty for each variety.
The perspective of each consumer is unique, despite the multitude of varieties and differences, as can be seen from the 2023 in-depth study on apples by Agroter fruit and vegetable research, including perception of the taste characteristics of the various, and countless varieties.
For example, for Golden Delicious (the most consumed variety), there is a good stated knowledge of the level of sweetness, which is evident not so much from the actual correlation between perception and reality, but from the percentage of individuals who do not express themselves, which is only 9 per cent for this type of apple.
For this reason, selecting fruit and vegetable products in accordance with the characteristics demanded by consumers becomes necessary for packing houses that wish to ensure a consistent supply. With the innovative systems for quality selection, Unitec becomes the ideal partner for apple consumers’ loyalty.
Unitec provides the apple supply chain with the innovative Apples Sort 3 as well as the Uniq Apples systems from the Unisorting brand. These allow each
apple variety to be selected according to external and internal quality parameters, while safeguarding the fruit’s integrity.
But that is not all. Unitec, thanks to its Uni Robotics division, designs and develops the Uni Intelligent Pack technological solution that places apples inside the cells so that all the stems are oriented in the same direction.
This patented solution, combined with the Apples Sort 3 vision system, for external quality selection of apples, through a color detection system, allows you to combine the orientation of the stems with the most colored part of the fruit. This feature ensures that the apples are displayed in the packaging in the most aesthetically pleasing and attractive way for consumers.
In addition, the patented Uni Flow Gentle Packer solution, equipped with dedicated, ultra-gentle suction cups to preserve each fruit in the handling process, allows you to maximise the efficiency and potential of automatic apple packing by continuously and gently transferring the fruits into trays.
Not only apples, Unitec processes more than 50 types of fruits, including pears. With the patented Uni 9.0 Pear solution, equipped with an innovative transport system, the surface of the pears can be fully inspected. Packing houses, therefore, are able to gently analyse the shape and size of different varieties, selecting quality according to consumer preferences.
Finally, intelligence and automation in the processes, achieved through the introduction of Unitec innovative systems, bring efficiency to the handling of each fruit. This allows a reduction in industrial costs and provides an answer to inflation.
Unitec, we work for your results.
With Northern Hemisphere apple stocks already depleted and lower volumes coming from the South, French and European growers are excited for the start of the season, says Marc Peyres of France’s Blue Whale.
by Tom Joyce @tomfruitnet
How is the new apple crop looking in France at the moment?
Marc Peyres: I think in France we will have a bigger crop than last year. Last year was not a big crop and we had problems with hot weather in the summer, when we lost a lot of fruit. At the moment the situation is totally different. Spring has been quite favourable. In the biggest apple growing area, which is the southwest of France, the crop will be very big. The conditions so far have been quite good in terms of temperature and water so the fruit is larger than expected. In the southwest of France, we are expecting maybe even a record crop. In the southeast, volumes look normal.
But from now until the final harvesting, of course, anything can happen. We saw last year the problem with the temperature. What is sure is that we should not have any problems with water now until the end of the season because we’ve been having rain every week, so there are some reserves.
Looking at France, this is probably the best crop of the last five years. The first part of the growing season is done, with a good spring and a good number of fruit. That’s a good start. Next we are looking to harvest in time and to put the fruit in coldstorage.
What are the expectations for this season in terms of prices?
MP: Stocks all over the world have never been so low at this time of year. This is partly due to the quality of the last European crop. Although the volume reached 12m tonnes, the quality was very poor,
so in the end, there was a shortage on the fresh market, and we saw that reflected in the price. Now there are no Northern Hemisphere stocks le .
At the same time the 2023 Southern Hemisphere crop has not been good so the volumes coming from the Southern Hemisphere are
less than usual. So stocks are very low all over the world and every market is waiting on the start of the new European season. We are quite excited to get started.
Much will depend on the volumes produced across different European countries, as well as the
“Looking at France, this is probably the best crop of the last five years. In the southwest, maybe even a record crop”
US and India. We have the feeling now that the European crop will not be as big as last year. We had a spring with a lot of storm and hail, so production that is not well protected could have some issues. Poland is not expecting a large crop a er last year’s big one. So we are thinking that next year the balance between supply and demand could be quite favourable for the growers.
Do you see big potential for any new varieties? How is Candine developing in Asia?
MP: We’ve been very pleased with the success of our Candine in many countries, not only in Asia, but also in South America and Central America. This year we’re going to double our volume of Candine. We should pack around 400,000 boxes this year. People love the
taste. They love Candine, because it is sweet, juicy, and has more flavour than any other sweet apple at the moment. In the last few years Candine is probably the most exciting one in terms of returns and taste.
Last year we had very good Candine sales in Vietnam, China, Singapore, Thailand, Central America, Colombia, Brazil and Ecuador. We had also some good returns in the UK. With some retailers in France, we chose Candine as the national apple variety because of its success. It is probably the most exciting variety since we started Pink Lady 25 years ago.
MP: For every grower around the world, the top issue at the moment is to get good workers in the field, as well as in the packhouse. Our activity requires a lot of workers for short periods of time. This is one of the main problems we have to face. So next year, if the European crop is a bit short, and France has a big crop, it will be easier for us to get workers from Europe.
The labour issue is becoming so important that maybe we have to organise differently in the future. If you cannot harvest the crop in time, then you lose a lot of fruit, which is a disaster. In Europe, we need workers from outside the continent, but regulations sometimes make that difficult.
The Kent company will be Aldi’s sole supplier of British apples, providing around 45m units each year.
by Maura Maxwell @maurafruitnetAC Goatham & Son has signed a new £30m deal to supply the UK’s fourth largest supermarket Aldi. Founded in 1947, and run by Clive Goatham and his son Ross, the Kent-based company has supplied Aldi with a variety of apples and pears since 2016, including Royal Gala apples, Braeburn apples and Conference pears.
It will now be Aldi’s sole supplier of British apples, supplying an estimated 45m units to Aldi stores across the country each year. This is more than five times the annual volume it initially sold to Aldi back in 2016.
The business said it has big plans for its future with Aldi, including adding new orchards to its 26 farms across Kent and working with the supermarket to extend the growing season with controlled atmosphere storage.
AC Goatham & Son also continues to invest in its green credentials, working in partnership with Aldi on its journey to Net Zero. Managing director Ross Goatham said: “This deal is a fantastic achievement for a family-owned business like ours and will enable us to invest even further in our business to supply quality fresh produce to all Aldi customers across the UK”.
Julie Ashfield, managing director of buying at Aldi UK, commented: “Aldi is a proud champion of British produce, and it is our pleasure to be working with AC Goatham & Son to supply all of our British apples. We are impressed by the business’ growth over the past seven years with Aldi and are excited to see what this next chapter brings.”
In line with its commitment to support British farmers, Aldi was the largest buyer of British apples for the August 2021 to July 2022 season, according to industry body British Apples & Pears Limited (BAPL).
The supermarket recently announced that it will be working with its UK farmers to achieve Leaf accreditation by the end of 2023. This scheme helps to verify sustainably farmed products among its suppliers to help it continue providing the best produce for customers.
ABOVE & LEFT—AC
Goatham has seen a five-fold increase in its business with Aldi since 2016
Growers in the country’s two main production regions say they hope for better prices this season following a major increase in costs.
by Michael SchottenThe new apple and pear harvest is eagerly awaited in Germany. But there is also a hope that weather extremes, which have become more frequent in recent years, will not dampen the mood among producers and marketers.
The cost of apple production in the country has already exploded, due to inflation that remains high, while an increased minimum wage and food retailers’ pricing policies are fuelling further challenges.
It remains to be seen whether the new harvest is larger than last year’s 1.1m tonnes. Although this was one of the largest German crops ever and just behind record harvests in 2014 and 2018, production area has since decreased by 1.5 per cent. Good fruit set in spring and low levels of pests and disease were decisive factors in 2022/23.
In terms of prices, however, last season was one of the worst. As supply pressure increased in the trade, Germany’s fruit growers even launched a high-profile campaign to give away regional apples. The aim was to draw attention to the difficult market situation and to retail pricing. But it was apparently of little use, as apple prices remained low.
Two-thirds of German apples are grown in just two key areas, Lake Constance in Baden-Württemberg, and the Altes Land (Old Country) in Lower Saxony. Altes Land is the largest connected cultivation area in Germany, and there Elbe-Obst accounts for about 62 per cent of apple production.
For 15 years, the company has sold some of its production on the UK market, where it supplies two large supermarket chains with Braeburn. “From a German point of view, however, the British market is limited in terms of potential, as it is traditionally served very strongly by France, Italy or overseas suppliers and dominated by varieties that we don’t have in our range,” says Elbe-Obst CEO Frank Döscher.
But overall conditions look pretty good, with a little less Elstar expected and a modest rise for Jonagold set to favour an average harvest. Döscher says he is satisfied with the orchards’ pre-season development.
“So far, the conditions look pretty good for us,” he says. “We had no frosts and no hail in the spring, and there were no problems in the dry months either.”
The company has worked hard to diversify its apple variety range in recent years. Its latest acquisition is Fräulein, a chance discovery by grower Gerd Sundermeyer. “This great variety is still under development and it is currently limited to Germany,” Döscher notes. “However, sales and exports to the UK are possible in principle. We expect to have a total of 6,000 tonnes of packout nationwide in the coming season.”
The coming apple campaign in Belgium looks promising, according to Marc Evrard of Belgian Fruit Valley. “Contrary to last season, we will be entering an empty market with no stocks left from the Northern Hemisphere and less Southern Hemisphere fruit due to issues in New Zealand for instance,” he says. “In Belgium we are expecting a slightly later start to the season of around 10-14 days. So we should be beginning from a strong position, and that’s true of both the generic and the managed varieties.”
Belgian apples experienced a strong finish to the last campaign, according to Tony Derwael of Bel’Export, having begun with a record European harvest of 12m tonnes. “We processed high volumes,” he says, “and high demand for concentrates in the US and Asia used up all the stocks in July.”
“The overall cost for a grower to produce one kilogram of produce has risen substantially over the
last season,” says Evrard. “This is in addition to all the climate issues we have to face, including droughts, floods, cold, heat and frost, as well as making sure you’re in line with Green Deal regulations on things like packaging. It makes growers apprehensive about how to deal with everything because there are a lot of uncertainties. Education is necessary at all levels. We need to educate the clients, the retailers and also the end-consumers.”
Labour availability and cost remain a challenge, but the gap between wages in different European countries has at least
come down. “We saw in the past that there was a huge gap between labour costs in southern and eastern Europe and those in, for instance, Belgium,” says Evrard. “Now the gap is much smaller. Before the labour cost was €5-6 per hour in southern Europe, and around €12 in Belgium. Now it’s about €15 in Belgium and closer to €12 in southern Europe.”
For Evrard, good workers will always be an important investment. “If you want good quality labour, you have to understand that the cost of living is rising for everyone, including for workers and they need to make a decent living.” he says.
Equally important is to continue to develop growing markets like India. This season, according to Evrard, much will depend on the volumes coming in to the country from other sources.
“It remains to be seen what other origins have to offer,” he says. “We know that over the last few years, China has been out due to some specific issues between the two countries. Indian buyers have been more focused on Iran and Turkey for price-related issues. There are still European suppliers sending to the Indian market, from Poland, Italy, Belgium and others. India and the US are looking to work more closely together, so there’s going to be a renewed focus on US apples like Red Delicious. Import tariffs, which had been put up from 50 per cent to 75 per cent, are now going to be lowered again to 50 per cent, which will definitely give more of a competitive edge to US apples.”
A lack of apples on the global market is good news for Belgian producers this campaign, as they continue to contend with a multitude of other challenges.ABOVE—Belgian Fruit Valley’s Morgana apple
“The cost of living is rising for everyone, including for workers, and they need to make a decent living”
The impact of last summer’s record heat in Europe continues to be felt in the world of pears, but this time to the benefit of growers. Stocks of last year’s heat-affected crop had all gone a whole month before harvesting was due to start on the new crop. Meanwhile, Southern Hemisphere volumes are mercifully low, giving European growers hope that the new season might bring improved prices.
“The end of the last season was beyond anything we’d seen before,” says Tony Derwael, CEO of Belgian exporter Bel’Export, “with demand
over Europe, but also outside,” he says. “We still need to maintain our efforts as far as marketing and promotions are concerned. That’s something we’ll be focusing on.” Evrard says he expects the Belgian Conference crop to be larger than last year’s by 10-25 per cent, depending on the region. “It’s still early days,” he says, “but the trend we’re seeing in pear production is clear, with southern Europe losing out to Belgium and Holland, who manage to have a consistently high quality crop grown in a sustainable way and averaging rather good yields year a er year. Of course we’re all facing issues with the climate in Europe, but the way these weather conditions are manifesting themselves in southern Europe is a bit more severe than we’re seeing in Belgium and Holland.”
“As far as pear production in Europe is concerned, if we look at profitability, quality, reliability, and
sale campaign is a powerful tool to promote Belgian Conference pears in Chinese retail, both physically and digitally,” says VLAM’s Hartwig Moyaert. “By combining in-store tastings and displays, digital platforms and influencer collaborations, retailers can captivate consumers, generate product awareness, and increase sales. By leveraging the power of both offline and online channels, retailers can charm shoppers and create a buzz around these delectable fruits.”
Belgian Fruit Valley also sends smaller volumes to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Vietnam, according to Evrard. “We’re planning our next promotion in India for the coming season with major retailers there,” he says. “We had hoped to expand even more over the last few years, but because of the Covid-related fallout, we mainly consolidated in our existing markets. This wasn’t so bad considering the lockdowns, closure of shops, transport issues, lack of tasting opportunities or face to face meetings. Even online sales were an issue as those doing the deliveries were also in lockdown. So there were quite substantial challenges.”
so high for small fruit sizes, and pears under 55mm selling at over €1.”
Marc Evrard of Belgian Fruit Valley says it’s encouraging to see the market uninhibited by higher prices for Conference pears. “Appreciation of the Conference is growing all
consistency, Belgium, together with the southern parts of Holland, is increasingly becoming the benchmark for exports outside of Europe as well as internally in Europe.”
In Asia, China is the main market for Belgian Conference pears. This autumn, Flanders Agricultural Marketing Board (VLAM) will launch the ‘Taste of Europe China’ campaign in the country. “This point-of-
According to Derwael, good prices are also expected for the first part of the Corina campaign, Belgium’s summer pear, which usually runs from mid-August until midSeptember, due to the lack of le over Conference on the market.
With no stocks of Conference remaining due to last summer’s heat, Belgian pear producers are cautiously confident ahead of the start of the new season.
The forthcoming European pear harvest will be one of the smallest in the past decade at around 1.9m tonnes.
That’s according to estimates presented at Interpera, the global congress for the sector’s producers and international stakeholders, which took place in Lleida, Spain, in June.
Forecasts based on flowering and fruit set suggest Spain’s production will grow by 53 per cent to 190,600 tonnes, and Portugal’s will be up 7 per cent to 130,000 tonnes.
Belgium’s output is also expected to rise 6 per cent to 366,000 tonnes.
However, pear production in France is estimated to be down 26 per cent to 109,000 tonnes. The Netherlands and Italy, meanwhile, have not yet calculated their exact harvest forecasts, but the suggestion in both cases is for a decrease.
For Italy, the effects of poor fruit set and significant
petal fall have been greatly exacerbated by the unpredictable impact of flooding in Romagna. This could apparently threaten the future viability of some orchards.
In the Netherlands, the harvest is expected to be the same or slightly lower than in 2022/23 due to low rainfall at key times.
Production is set to increase in Spain, enabling the country to make up some ground a er a poor season last year. However, doubts remain over the possible effects of drought following periods of intense heat. Generally speaking, good sizes are expected, but in the areas affected by the drought the final size of the fruit is still uncertain.
A common theme among speakers at Interpera was that it is essential to increase consumption, and to communicate to consumers that fruit is not expensive.
European households react positively in terms of consumption and amount spent when presented with a good product, it was noted.
Other presentations at the event focused on climate change and crop adaptation. Professor Antonio Ruiz de Elvira from the University of Alcalá de Henares stressed that “we missed the opportunity to mitigate climate change, now we have the opportunity to adapt” by implementing strategies such as drip irrigation, planting droughtresistant varieties, installing capillary run-off systems and, finally, planting trees.
The conference also highlighted studies carried out in various countries, such as innovations in irrigation and shading of plantations, and analysis of the distribution of the CO2 footprint in pear cultivation and handling.
This season’s European pear harvest is on course to be one of the smallest in the last ten years, according to a provisional summary of forecasts released at Interpera.
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In late June, a protocol was signed that paves the way for Italian pears to be exported to China. The news represents a major commercial breakthrough for Italy’s pear business, which simultaneously continues to grapple with huge production challenges – not least the devastating impact of recent floods in Romagna.
The protocol agreement was sealed on the morning of 26 June at the Italian Ministry of Agriculture in Rome. Signing the document were the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Giorgio Silli, and China’s Minister for Customs Administration, YU Jianhua.
Also present was Angelo Rossi, a member of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and advisor to Minister of
Agriculture Francesco Lollobrigida on institutional relations.
“It was a fruitful meeting, aimed at facilitating the access of Italian agri-food products to the Chinese market,” commented Rossi. “In light of the positive conclusion of the phytosanitary protocol for the export of Italian pears to China, similar forms of cooperation on controls and traceability for other products of our quality agri-food sector can be evaluated.”
Elsewhere, work continues to promote Italian pears to consumers. Also in June, a new three-year project was launched by leading supplier Apo Conerpo with financial support from the EU.
Called ‘Pears with love: a case study of sustainable agriculture’, the programme targets consumers in Italy, France and Germany, and aims to raise awareness of the pear
sector’s efforts to address climate change, protect the environment and biodiversity, ensure sustainable economic benefits for farmers, and encourage healthy lifestyles for all.
“Pears with love is a project that Apo Conerpo cares passionately about, to safeguard the values of environmental sustainability and support consumers in making healthy and sustainable food choices,” commented Davide Vernocchi, president of Apo Conerpo.
“The pear supply chain is of crucial importance at a national level and has been subjected to massive challenges for years. Thanks to this project, we will have the opportunity to make the most of the daily commitment of thousands of companies on the front line for the development of an excellent [product] that is appreciated in Italy and abroad.”
Adriano Aldrovandi, president of marketing consortium Opera, added his support. “This European project is a great opportunity to raise awareness, enhance and guide the entire supply chain towards the new challenges of sustainability, in its broadest meaning –environmental , social and economic – with a view to promoting a food system that is as sustainable and healthy as possible.”
“The pear supply chain is of crucial importance at a national level and has been subjected to massive challenges for years”A trade protocol with China and a new promotional campaign offer some hope to those in the Italian pear business who continue to support its recovery.
Rita Marinho, general secretary of ANP Pera Rocha explains how higher temperatures are impacting production of Portugal’s emblematic variety.
by Maura Maxwell @maurafruitnetRocha pears account for virtually all of Portugal’s pear output. The variety grown almost exclusively in the west of the country. ANP Pera Rocha, the National Association of Rocha Pear Producers, represents around 90 per cent of Rocha pear production. Pera Rocha do Oeste has been recognised by the European Union as a Protected Designation of Origin since 2006, reflecting the unique conditions of this region of Portugal for its production. Fresh Focus Apple and Pear talks to ANP’s Rita Marinho about the outlook for the new season crop.
What are your expectations for the 2023 Rocha pear crop?
Rita Marinho: In 2022 we harvested 123,744 tonnes of Rocha pears. Taking into account the adverse climatic conditions we’ve experienced this year, we expect the 2023 harvest to be 5 per cent lower, but we’ll be able to give a more definitive forecast
in August. This volume represent a significant decrease related to five-year average.
How has the climate impacted the crop in terms of quality and sizes?
RM: Last year, the high temperatures recorded in July negatively affected fruit growth and the situation was compounded by low rainfall levels in the winter, which limited the availability of water for irrigation.
As a result, we saw a decrease of around 45 per cent in harvested volume compared to 2021. There was a greater proportion of smaller sizes, and the fruit had greater skin sensitivity which made it more challenging to store.
In spite of all this, it was a very positive year in terms of quality, since brix levels, flavour and organoleptic quality were high and there was a lower incidence of pigmentation, a positive factor for some markets.
In 2023, weather conditions have already negatively impacted this year’s harvest. Fewer cold hours and high temperatures have affected the development of the fruit, resulting in a lower number of pears per tree compared to the previous year. But we’re expecting larger sizes and this will compensate partway for the lower volume.
Roughly what proportion of the crop is exported and what are your main export markets?
RM: Last year around 60 per cent of the harvested volume was exported and the rest sold on the domestic market. The three biggest export markers were Brazil, Morocco and the UK, followed by Spain, France and Germany. We didn’t send a significant amount to some of the newer markets due to the smaller crop.
This year, with a similar volume expected, the focus will be on supplying existing markets, along with reinforcing the promotional work we’re doing here on the domestic market under the Rocha do Oeste PDO.
TOP—Around 60 per cent of the harvested volume was exported last year
This year, with a similar volume expected as last season, the focus will be on supplying existing markets
New Zealand-based apple brand Rockit Global has championed the first memorandum of understanding (MOU) in its category, signing a 12-month deal with Lulu Hypermarkets across the Middle East. The partnership agreement – dubbed the Rockit Apple Partnership Programme (RAPP) –determines the relationship and intention between both parties to grow the Middle Eastern Market for Rockit and Lulu Hypermarkets.
Rockit market manager for the Middle East, Ziad El Chawa, said that as an apple brand that innovates and thinks and acts differently, Rockit ”couldn’t be prouder” to be collaborating with Lulu Hypermarkets to ”make a huge impact in store and online to drive Rockit sales”.
“The RAPP will enable us to share information and ideas to create strong localised campaigns together, driven by local insights,” said El Chawa. ”This will see more
large format displays in-store, along with strong consumer led omni-channel campaigns and engaging promotions that disrupt the category and introduce Rockit to millions more consumers.”
Global business development manager Charley Grant said Rockit was looking to sign RAPP agreements with a select few retailers spanning multiple markets to help drive an increase in sales of up to 50 per cent year-on-year.
“The RAPP agreement will allow us to span over multiple countries with the same retailer, providing these retail partners access to unique and exclusive activations and insights to help drive Rockit sales,” said Grant.
”Through data sharing, the agreement will ensure we’re ahead of the latest consumer trends to benefit both the retailer, and the end consumer,” Grant explained. ”We are thrilled to launch this new initiative with Lulu Hypermarkets and look forward to working together in this exciting partnership.”
El Chawa outlined that, following strong year-onyear growth in 2022, it was “exciting” to see a record number of New Zealand apples arriving in the Middle East this year.
“We take great pride in fruit quality at Rockit, and the fruit coming through this year is bursting with incredible colour and flavour as we gear up for our strongest season yet,” he added.
“The agreement will ensure we are ahead of the latest trends to benefit both the retailer and the end consumer”Apple brand signs year-long MOU with hypermarket group to help grow the Middle Eastern market.
Asiafruit Congress takes place alongside Asia Fruit Logistica on 6-8 September 2023 at AsiaWorld–Expo in Hong Kong
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The Chilean firm becomes first fruit grower in South America
receive
Neutral product certification for its organic apples.
by Maura Maxwell @maurafruitnetVentureFruit, the commercialisation manager for the Hot Climate Partnership, has appointed Andes New Varieties Administration Chile (ANA Chile) as the ‘master licensee’ to develop hot climate apple and pear varieties with growers in South America, starting with Chile.
Morgan Rogers, VentureFruit’s general manager, said ANA Chile was chosen to support and manage all South American development activities for the hot climate varietal programme, due to its expertise in plant material, its protection, evaluation, promotion, commercial administration, control of plantations and surveillance of production.
Chilean exporter Copefrut has become the first fresh fruit company in South America to be awarded CarbonNeutral Product certification by Climate Impact Partner for its organic apples. Copefrut was able to calculate, mitigate and offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the cradle-todoor life cycle of its first customer for its organic apples, establishing a new milestone for the global fresh produce industry.
Climate Impact Partner’s CarbonNeutral standard takes into account each stage of the product’s life cycle, from obtaining raw materials, agricultural activities, packaging, and storage to international market transportation.
“This certification not only demonstrates our commitment to the environment and the sustainable development goals that we adhere to with our sustainability policy, but also reflects an exercise in consistency with what organic production means,” says Andrés Fuenzalida, Copefrut’s general manager. “Now we can say that we have a totally sustainable product.”
The initiative aims to develop an agricultural model that is increasingly sustainable but also more transparent. “The agricultural sector has a significant impact in terms of emissions at a global level and Copefrut, through its carbon neutrality programme, is contributing to its mitigation,” explains Felipe Sepúlveda, executive director and founding partner of Carboneutral Chile.
“By being the first to have this certification within the agricultural
“Our goal is to make the new hot climate tolerant varieties developed by the Hot Climate Partnership available to growers across the globe. We are excited to have ANA Chile join our global network of master licensees and look forward to working together to bring innovative apple and pear varieties to environments where it’s difficult for pipfruit to thrive due to climate conditions,” he said.
industry, it sets a very relevant precedent in the sector. It directly contributes to generating not only positive impacts associated with climate change, but also its carbon neutrality programme contributes to generating positive impact on 15 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.”
The result of measuring and neutralising the total gross emissions generated in 2023 from Copefrut’s organic apples is equivalent to avoiding emissions from the full charge of almost 200m cell phones or from the electricity consumed in a year in more than 300 homes. Copefrut’s offset portfolio is made up of carbon credits from two Latin American projects: a wind power project in the Biobío region of Chile; and a REDD+ project in the state of Acre in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, which aims to prevent deforestation of hundreds of thousands of hectares, protecting one of the most biodiverse habitats in the world.
Tough conditions have taken their toll on the country’s apple and pear business during its recent export season.
by Fred Meintjes
In the wake of what it describes as a “stormy” campaign, the South African apple and pear industry has confirmed that its latest exports will end up lower than last season, largely as a result of early season hail.
Apple exports will be down by 11 per cent, while pears will be 20 per cent lower than last year.
The hailstorms reportedly caused significant damage in a number of production regions and have been the major reason for reduced export volumes.
“Ceres Fruit Growers, one of South Africa’s oldest fruit packing concerns, said they lost around 30 per cent of their crop in December
and January,” explains Frederick Odendaal, manager producer services at CFG, in a general wrap of the season circulated by Hortgro.
The hail hit other regions too. Johan Kotze, general manager of Dutoit Agri in the Langkloof, describes the damage as a “nightmare” for the region.
At the time of publication, apple volumes offered for the export market had dropped by around 5m cartons compared with the previous campaign.
It is estimated that 40.16m cartons will now be exported, compared with last year’s 45.26m cartons. Pear volumes, meanwhile, are expected to drop from 21.2m
cartons last year to 16.9m cartons.
It seems as if apple and pear volumes from Ceres have been more dramatically affected. On the positive side, however, Royal Gala and Gala volumes up to week 25 were up by 7 per cent when measured against the same period of last year.
Apples exported to the UK and mainland Europe declined by 26 per cent and 18 per cent respectively, and by 53 per cent to Russia, while volumes increased significantly to East Asia, the US and Canada.
Exports of pears declined to most markets, with a notable drop of 16 per cent in shipments to the EU at the time of going to press.
Post-harvest freshness specialist expands its lineup of solutions for apples in the US by introducing three new products.
by Carl Collen @carlfruitnetAgrofresh has announced new appointments to its board of directors. The company recently announced a go-private transaction with investment funds associated with Paine Schwartz Partners, and its new board features a “diverse mix of industry experts with global expertise from across the fresh produce supply chain”.
“Now we have an even greater focus and added support to fulfil our vision to be the global leader in the post-harvest sector of the fresh produce industry,” says CEO Clint Lewis. “Our new board of directors features a diverse mix of industry executives from across the globe with decades of combined experience in food and agriculture.”
Agrofresh Solutions has announced three new additions to its Apple Complete portfolio. Omricertified CeraFruta and Teycer Originals Prime Elite have joined DPA as the latest products in the group’s lineup of post-harvest solutions for the US apple industry.
Cerafruta, a bio-fungicide approved for organic use, had ”proven efficacy” against a broad spectrum of post-harvest fruit decays thanks to its patented formulation of Natamycin, a naturally occurring molecule derived from soil bacteria with a unique mode of action.
The group said that Cerafruta had been used within the food industry for four decades with no known cases of resistance.
Teycer Originals Prime Elite was described as a new coating approved for organic use that helps apples stay more firm, smooth and
shiny compared to conventional coatings.
Finally, Textar DPA was a trusted scald and CO2 injury inhibitor containing 40 per cent Diphenylamine, Agrofresh outlined.
“At Agrofresh, our team of innovators is always working to develop new solutions to improve the produce system and reduce food loss,” said Sarah Enescu, commercial business director North America at Agrofresh.
“We’ve been supporting the apple industry for more than 20 years with innovative and revolutionary solutions starting with our SmartFresh (1-MCP) technology,” she explained. ”Today, our Apple Complete portfolio supports the apple industry from end to end with unparalleled customer support to make our industry both more sustainable and efficient.”
The new board members are (clockwise from top left): former Fresh Direct CEO David McInerney; Brian Kocher, formerly of Calavo and Chiquita; Tina Lawton, ex-member of the crop protection executive team at Syngenta; and Sandor Nagy of Driscoll’s.
Agrofresh commercialised the SmartFresh (1-MCP) technology that began in 2003 with the application on apples, and in the last 20 years it has expanded for use in multiple crops, including pears, blueberries, cherries, avocados and stonefruit, as well as new applications in field, storage and transit, such as field spray application and sachets.
A sustainable production project that made its mark in the Australian banana category now looks set for similar success in apples and pears.
by Liam O’Callaghan @liamfruitnet
Red wax-tipped bananas have been a familiar sight in Australian supermarkets for more than two decades, a symbol used to denote fruit that is grown using innovative farming methods trademarked as Ecoganic.
Now, for the first time, the company behind the label, Pacific Coast Eco Bananas, has helped to certify apples and pears in the same manner.
The company’s managing director Frank Sciacca first developed Ecoganic in an effort to reduce the degradation and decline
of soil health that was caused by conventional banana growing practices in Far North Queensland. It combines environmental management systems and sustainable production practices to minimise the impact of farming on the surrounding soil and sea, to help repair the surrounding natural habitat, and, in
The third-party audited Ecoganic method has since been applied to avocados. Now Sciacca is working with in apple and pear growers Goulburn Valley, Victoria.
“We are working with the Silverstein family of Silver Orchards to identify the products and practices that need to be removed to develop a complex ecosystem,” he says. “Working with farmers who have a mindset to change and want support along this journey is rewarding.”
According to Sciacca, a key part of the process is regular audits and monitoring, which generate evidence-based outcomes that can be marketed.
For example, simply by reducing fertiliser usage, Ecoganic bananas have apparently prevented 1,183 tonnes of carbon entering the atmosphere in the last 12 months. That figure is calculated using the Queensland government’s HortCarbon Info system.
Sciacca says the method has also helped to double the number of insects recorded on Ecoganicmonitored sites, and reduce food waste by producing fruit with a longer shelf-life.
the case of Far North Queensland, to protect the Great Barrier Reef.
“Ecoganic farming is farming with nature,” Sciacca explains. “Every creature plays a part in our ecosystem and we’ve invited the insects and nature’s other farmers back onto the plantation to work alongside us. They’ve brought with them all the natural benefits of farming – free from harsh chemicals and fertilisers, which have proven, negative long-term impacts on biodiversity.”
“The Ecoganic method more than halves the amount of man-made inputs in crop production on plantations, reducing the impact on the earth’s biosphere,” he explains. “It is naturally self-sustaining and regenerative, so the ecosystem can be preserved and restored, and perform life-giving ecosystem services.”
