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Fresh Fruit and Vegetables 2008 -2014

Programme manager: Mr Peter J. van Gilst
Status: current (closed for application)

Help has arrived for exporters from developing countries (DCs) struggling to market their fresh fruit and vegetables in the European Union. The CBI´s new Export Coaching Programme (ECP) for Fresh Fruit & Vegetables has been especially designed to help DC companies with export ambition and potential to surmount the many obstacles separating them from sustainable European sales. The ECP was launched this year and lasts until 2014.

The European fresh fruit and vegetables market offers good opportunities for exports from developing countries (DCs). European buyers are particularly interested in exotic fruits and off-season produce to compensate for low European production in the winter time. However, many DC exporters struggle to gain and hold a position on the European market. Many fail to meet internal organisational conditions with regard to European regulations and quality assurance, while insufficient knowledge of strategic marketing approaches and research methods hinders them from effectively navigating the EU´s complex markets. As a result, they fail to develop a broad enough base for sustainable export business. The lack of sector-wide teamwork and the limited reach of Business Support Organisations (BSOs) in many DCs are a further exporting handicap.

Feasibility
The CBI´s ECP for Fresh Fruit & Vegetables was preceded by a feasibility survey, which convinced the CBI of the potential for DC products on this market as well as of the need among exporters for training and assistance. The EU´s current 27 member states together consumed some 75 million tonnes of (fresh) fruit and 62 million tonnes of vegetables in 2005. The market is more or less saturated. Much of Europe´s fruit and veggies are homegrown and exported. Some 23 million tonnes of fruit and just over 10 million tonnes of vegetables were imported in 2005 – mainly exotic and off-season produce. As consumers become more and more health-conscious and supermarkets increase their purchasing power, suppliers are confronted with increasingly rigorous demands in areas like planning, communications and logistics, systematic production and harvesting processes, quality, continuity and food safety. Many buyers expect suppliers to be certified for HACCP, GlobalGAP and / or BRC. In the new ECP, all of these issues and more will be thoroughly addressed throughout an intensive, 7-year programme that includes on-site company audits and counselling, an in-depth training at home and in Europe and participation in leading European trade fairs. The single purpose of the ECP is to enable participating export companies to establish a healthy, long-term position on EU/EFTA markets.

Target countries
A list of the countries selected can be found below. Please note that the ECP is now closed for applications from Ecuador, Egypt, Peru and Sri Lanka.

Companies interested in participating in this programme can find the project document and application forms at the bottom of this page. Apply now!

For more information, please contact programme manager Peter van Gilst (tel.+ 31 (0)10 20 13 415 / 2013434; e-mail: pgilst@cbi.eu or cbi@cbi.eu).