Monsanto, Dole in 5-Year Vegetable Collaboration

Reuters - June 23, 2009

Chicago - Monsanto Co and Dole Fresh Vegetables Inc said on Tuesday that they would collaborate to develop vegetables that could be more attractive to consumers.

Monsanto and Dole said they would use plant breeding to improve the nutrition, flavor, color, texture, taste and aroma of the vegetables. The five-year collaboration will focus on broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and spinach, the companies said. If new products were created under the collaboration, they could be commercialized by Dole in North America.

Loosing pounds, not so healthy after all for British consumers…

by David Ivanovic

The staggering numbers extracted from Eurostat show an important decrease in EU imports of horticultural products. Let’s cut straight to the point: the recession that is engulfing the majority of European countries is one, if not the major underlying reason. Another cause behind the reduction of imported fresh products, especially in Great Britain, is the devaluation of the British pound, which has lost a 25% of its value in 2008 against the euro. At the beginning of last year, 100 pounds could get you almost 140 euros; on New Year’s Eve, the same amount was only worth €100.

This week, the pound regained its November value, climbing up by 15% since its all time low value of January. Let’s see if the growth momentum will keep going and bring back the levels of imports to what they used to be. Because when someone stops buying, someone at the other end of the supply chain is having a hard time too. Eating more mangoes and papayas will be good for everyone.  

Recession hits UK exotics consumption

note from David: well it's kind of official, look in my earlier posts the data for papaya (still a minor product compared to pineapples or mangoes) the dramatic first three months of 2009.


June 22, 2009 - Reefer Trend
The sales value of tropical fruits such as pineapples, mangoes and melons has dropped by 5.5% with volumes falling even more steeply

UK: Co-op uses new labelling to promote eco-awareness

June 19, 2009 - International Supermarket News

The Co-op has introduced new labelling on bags used to store fresh produce, detailing how to best keep them for maximum freshness and longevity. This eco-friendly initiative is part of the Love Food Hate Waste project launched by the government. Like other retailers - perhaps Marks and Spencer most notably - Co-op is waging a war on waste. British consumers ... read more...

The range of fair trade, sustainable products in EU retailers is insufficient

June 19, 2009 - GreenPlanet

European consumers are dissatisfied with the availability of environmentally friendly or ethically produced products, according to the latest European Commission's survey on consumers satisfaction just released. The detailed reports published this week by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Health and Consumers on consumer satisfaction cover different product sectors (8 total) throughout ... read more...