Global inflation is pressuring berry category

The international berry sector gathered at the Global Berry Congress in Rotterdam on November 15, 2022. For the first time since the event was organized, sentiment among participants was mixed rather than just very optimistic reported keynote speaker Cindy van Rijswick, RaboResearch Food & Agriculture.

Inflationary pressures for growers and distributors are not expected to end anytime soon. On top of that, consumer demand is likely to be affected by the inflationary environment. These challenges are prompting the berry industry to make the necessary changes to future-proof the berry sector, focusing on quality rather than quantity going forward.

In her talk, van Rijswick predicted that new varieties with more flavour will be needed to keep consumers spending. Growers need to use less plastic for packaging to appeal to environmentally-conscious consumers.