It has been an exceptional week in Murcia, where more than 180 licensed producers from all over the world gathered at the Global Summit 2023. We were honoured to host this landmark event for the table grape industry.
Global Summit 2023
For three unforgettable days, we embarked on a journey of discovery and collaboration. From commercial field visits to test block tours at the SNFL Innovation Centre, our licensees had the unique opportunity to experience the latest innovations first-hand. Our half-day conference programme shed light on the opportunities and challenges the table grape industry is facing. Our Grape Genesis grape breeding programme has brought more than 300,000 hybrids to life since its launch in 2015. The focus, shared by our newly appointed Chief Innovation Officer, Josep Estiarte, lies in developing varieties that appeal to consumers, with high disease resistance, innovative flavour profiles and elevated antioxidant levels.
Discovering the Future
During the field visits, licensees had the privilege of testing a selection of the most promising hybrids, some of which are already fast-tracked for commercial development in several countries. In addition, this event provided the perfect backdrop to unveil the new corporate identity of the merged SNFL and International Fruit Genetics (IFG) breeding programmes, following the approval of the acquisition of IFG by AMFRESH, together with EQT Future and Paine Schwartz Partners earlier this month.
Bloom Fresh: Breeding a Healthier and Tastier Future
We cannot fail to mention the exciting launch of “Bloom”, an initiative designed to nurture a range of healthier, more sustainable and delicious fruit offerings. This venture is based on the marriage of traditional farming practices and cutting-edge agribusiness solutions. Kenneth Avery, CEO of Bloom, shared his key vision: to guarantee consumers a consistently exceptional product, naturally bred, and to provide growers with varieties that are easy to grow, disease resistant and generate demand.
During the afternoon we were able to enjoy great conferences
- The afternoon conferences, moderated by Chris White of Fruitnet Media International, explored in depth the key challenges facing our industry.
- The Careño team – Juan, José and Iván -in charge of Grape Genesis breeding program, highlighted advances in disease resistance, noting that in few years 100% of new cultivars will have built-in resistance, transforming grape production in a similar way to the introduction of the new wave of seedless varieties.
- Spotligh on Asian
From new horizons in the Southeast Asian market, presented by José Vottero, Managing Director of FRESH Fruit-X, to expert analysis of Chinese consumer preferences by Riverking’s Ray Wang, it was clear that our innovations are shaping global demand. - Antioxidants Impact in a Healthy Lifestyle
Dr. Jose Abellan shared a focus on health, presenting the benefits of a Mediterranean diet. This paved the way for a broader discussion on the benefits of growing table grapes with higher levels of antioxidants. - The Organic Way: Opportunities and Challenges
The picture broadened with Dra. Iwona Janik and Hazel Hunt of Ethical Food Company in the UK, who outlined the opportunities in the organic grape market. With grapes accounting for just 3% of organic fruit sales in the UK, there is significant potential to explore. - Grapes Consumption: How to help the Consumer to make better choices?
The summit culminated in an exciting round table discussion on how to help consumers make more informed choices. Frans Gelderblom of Woolworth, Desmond Jas of Olympic Fruit and Patricia Sagarminaga of AMFRESH joined in discussing the possibility of changing the way grapes are marketed, focusing on flavour profiles rather than colour, to better reflect the sophistication of our varieties and generate more excitement on fresh produce shelves.
Beyond Innovation
In summary, all agreed on the importance of delivering consistently exceptional products and improving connectivity throughout the supply chain, from breeders to retailers. This shared vision lays the foundation for the future growth of the category.
We sincerely thank everyone who participated and contributed to making this Global Summit an unparalleled success.