Webinar: Sustainability expectations for the European fresh fruit and vegetables market

Sustainability is becoming more and more important for companies that export fresh fruit and vegetables to Europe. European buyers pay more attention to the quality and safety of products, but also to production methods, environmental impact and the working conditions throughout the supply chain.

But what does this mean in practice for suppliers from low- and middle-income countries? What are European importers and retailers looking for, and how can small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) prepare for these expectations?

Join our upcoming webinar to gain practical insights into sustainability in the European fresh fruit and vegetables sector. Our guest speakers from the Sustainability Initiative Fruit and Vegetables (SIFAV) will share their experience of working with European stakeholders and explain what sustainability topics are more and more relevant for buyers.
 

The webinar will focus on the practical steps that producers and exporters can take to strengthen their sustainability approach and become better prepared for the European market.

What will you learn?

During the webinar you will learn:

• What sustainability topics are currently high on the agenda of European fresh fruit and vegetable buyers.
• What European importers and retailers expect more and more from their suppliers.
• How pre-competitive collaboration helps buyers and suppliers tackle shared sustainability challenges together. 
• Which sustainability requirements and standards are particularly relevant for fresh produce suppliers.
• What tools and resources are available to help suppliers identify risks, measure their environmental and social performance and work towards improvement.
• How to approach sustainability as an ongoing process rather than simply a certification exercise.
• Practical steps SMEs can take to prepare for sustainability discussions with European buyers.

For whom?

This webinar is aimed at:

• Producers
• Exporters
• Cooperatives 
• Business support organisations 
  from low- and middle-income countries that are interested in exporting fresh fruit and vegetables to Europe or expanding their existing exports.

Preliminary agenda 

Presenters

Michel Peperkamp (moderator): External sector expert CBI

Michel Peperkamp works as an agrifood consultant and market intelligence specialist. As an external expert he has been responsible for CBI’s market information on fresh fruit and vegetables for the past 12 years. 

Speakers include:

Cristina Arribas Jiménez, SIFAV: Senior Program Officer

Cristina Arribas Jiménez is Senior Programme Officer at IDH Solutions and part of the SIFAV Secretariat. She works on sustainability in the fruit and vegetable sector, including collective action on water and living wages, and brings more than 10 years of international experience in sustainability, research and programme development. Her work focuses on data-driven approaches, business practice change and multi-stakeholder collaboration.

Dana Chahin: Consultant fresh fruit & vegetables - sustainability 

Dana Chahin is an international trade consultant with more than 15 years of experience in trade promotion and market access across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. She has worked extensively with companies and business support organisations in the fresh fruit and vegetables sector. Her work focuses on empowering suppliers from partner countries to build a strong, competitive position in the European market, with a clear commitment to targeted matchmaking, gender equality, and inclusive value chains.

Join this webinar

Register to join this webinar on 20 October 2026, 15:00 – 16:30 CEST.

Register

More information

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