Seaweed is seen as a modern-day ‘superfood’ due to its nutritional benefits. It can easily be used in many dishes. Seaweed is interesting for the European retail, food service and processing industries. This study focuses on the opportunities and challenges of exporting red, green and brown seaweed. To enter the market you must meet mandatory requirements set by the European Union and focus on sustainability.
The Netherlands is a main entrance point for fresh fruit and vegetables into Europe. Its experience in trading fresh produce and efficient infrastructure make it an interesting country to explore. The Dutch market itself is a competitive market with a well-developed convenience segment and a dominant supermarket channel. Importers play a crucial role in checking whether fresh products meet the specific standards of Dutch supermarkets, as well as those of other European buyers.
The trend of healthier diets is likely to positively impact the demand for spices such as curcuma longa. The Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom remain the main markets for Curcuma longa in Europe. However, the UK has lost its leading position in the European curcuma trade. It used to be the hub for trade, processing and distribution of this spice to other European countries, but since Brexit in 2020 this has changed considerably.
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For most European tourism providers today, embedding sustainability into all aspects of their business has become common practice. Before COVID-19, sustainable tourism was becoming increasingly important to the travelling public. Climate change leading to soaring temperatures, wildfires, floods, and other extreme weather events is now widely accepted to be a direct result of human behaviour. Countries, governments and citizens are urgently seeking to reduce carbon emissions, which impacts every industry in the world, including tourism.
Sustainability in tourism is on the edge of a breakthrough. Present day consumers expect companies to minimize their environmental impact and maximize their social returns. More and more outbound operators expect their partners to work on sustainability. This offers a major competitive advantage for inbound operators who have reached certification. Certification is achievable for all companies, large and small and in all destinations. We do not expect you to do the impossible or anything which does not make business sense. To help businesses we have developed a comprehensive and inspirational training and tool package to lead you through the process and provide international recognition.
Naut Kusters – General Manager, Travelife for Tour Operators
My advice to local tour operators would be to build sustainability into the heart of your business. Think carefully about all the positive and negative impacts your business has on the environment and communities where you operate. Make and implement a clear plan to maximise the benefits and minimise the burdens. This will mean you can confidently communicate your approach, your progress and successes to the companies you do business with. Work closely with others in the destination where you operate to share challenges and solutions, and most of all emphasise how being a sustainable travel company offers a better customer experience – one that’s local, authentic, special and memorable.
Rebecca Armstrong, Destinations Programme Office, The Travel Foundation
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Black pepper, known as the 'king of spices', is the most widely used spice in Europe. Large markets, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy, offer opportunities for new suppliers from developing countries. To succeed in Europe’s black pepper market, you should focus on delivering high-quality, safe and sustainable products that comply with EU regulations. You must be able to compete with Vietnam, Brazil, Indonesia and India by offering either competitive export prices or unique and high-quality products.
The growing popularity of Asian, North African and Middle Eastern cuisines, including spice mixes, sauces and condiments like curry sauces, is driving the demand for cumin seeds in Europe. Cumin seeds are also used as an ingredient in products like cheese. Large importing and consuming markets, such as the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, offer opportunities. Offering high-quality, safe and sustainable products can provide a competitive advantage. New suppliers must be able to compete with established suppliers from India, Syria and Turkey.
Europeans increasingly rely on software, systems, technologies and processes that are (inter-)connected via the internet. Artificial intelligence (AI) and quickly evolving technologies bring new complexities to the security of people, companies and systems. This makes data and systems vulnerable to cyberattacks and other kinds of cybersecurity threats. And no matter where a cyber threat comes from, it has the potential to be devastating to companies, their employees, and their customers. This is why the European market for cybersecurity is growing fast.
More and more European companies, mostly small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are discovering finance and accounting outsourcing (FAO) as a cost-effective way to improve their business. The trends on the market are automation, real-time services and the demand for added value partners.
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The European retail sector increasingly relies on technology. According to research by McKinsey, about 52% of the work in retail can be automated with current technology. This means that there is great potential for retail tech in general. The COVID-19 pandemic only accelerated this trend, making most European retailers interested in adopting at least one type of retail tech solution.
The European market for finance and accounting services is large, stable and growing. The biggest challenges for you as an outsourcing company are increasing automation and extra requirements in terms of security and corporate sustainability. However, there are good opportunities if you know how to use technological inventions and/or can offer added value through your services.