Information on fruit & vegetable promotional campaigns around Europe and beyond

Fresh Times – Edition 1, 2022

Freshfel Europe collects this information from different sources to the best of its knowledge. Freshfel Europe is in no way responsible for the content of the articles used. For any questions or further information, please contact the Association’s Secretariat.

Editor’s Note: A colourful & tasty daily routine

Even if spring is about to arrive, cold brought by the winter season is still being felt. Keeping our immune system high is a necessity, so what better way to improve it than through fruits and vegetables? Across the EU, and even overseas, several promotional activities are spreading to help consumers understand the importance of eating daily fresh fruits and vegetables. Freshness, colours, taste and health are the key words of all these initiatives, mainly addressed to school children. So, fill your shopping bags with fresh fruits and vegetables to make your diet healthier and your daily routine more colourful!

France: Looking good & tasty

On 7 December Interfel launched a range of digital actions in the fresh fruits and vegetables sector in order to increase consumers’ consumption of leek, carrot and endive. Interfel decided to take a seat in the initiative to boost these products by uploading on its website tasty recipes, inserting interesting articles in its newsletter and posting on Facebook and Instagram about them. That’s not all! In December a media campaign was set up both on several French radios and in 379 shopping centers. Additionally, Interfel dieticians were involved in the project through product tastings, recipe tastings and product information.

UK: Defeating evil vegetables

On February 12 the campaign Eat Them to Defeat Them was re-launched on British TV channels. Its purpose is to promote fresh vegetables to school children. This initiative stands out for its innovative and unique approach: vegetables are seen through children’s eyes. And so, vegetables turn into evil enemies, the only way to defeat them is to eat them. The campaign will run for five weeks, with a different family-favourite vegetable featured each week. Participating schools will enjoy vegetables tasting sessions, posters and games. The target is for one million children to receive a vegetable reward chart and sticker pack.

Italy: More home-delivered F&V

Conscious consumption and reducing global environmental impact are the key words at the base of the new partnership signed by the Italian group Agribologna and Gorilla, the startup who provides home delivery of essential products in a few minutes. 26 references, for a total of 156,641 kg of fresh fruits and vegetables came into consumers’ homes during the period between August to December 2021. This agreement perfectly combines both Gorilla’s purpose to defend those local productions that rely on environmental sustainability and constant innovation values, and Agribologna Group’s aim to keep on differentiating and customizing the methods of dialogue with costumers.

Netherlands: Cheap beats healthy

Consumers prefer price over health: this is what GroentenFruit Huis states in its report about food consumption trends in 2020.  GroentenFruit Huis presented the idea of a 0% VAT on fruits and vegetables to the Dutch government. The Dutch association strongly believes that every single person must be provided the opportunity to adopt a healthier life. Fruits and vegetables are an essential requirement in this sense. Accordingly, the proposal aims to make health be chosen over price, so that at the checkout consumers won’t worry about the low cost of fruits and vegetables, but weather what they are buying is good or not for their health.

Australia: Veggie billboards

Starting from 1 February  the majority of Australians walking on the streets will come across the billboard campaign ‘Better than you remember’. According to Dr Robyn Littlewood, Health and Wellbeing Queensland chief executive, it’s time to enrich our diets with more veggies to improve both our health and wellbeing.  The campaign aims to increase the daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables among Australians through a wide range of signs placed along streets. Moreover, the initiative includes a dedicated website where vegetable recipes, tips and education resources have been uploaded to make our meals not only full of vegetables, but also funnier and tastier.

France: ‘I eat 5!’ contest

Creating a poster for school canteens was the object of Aprifel’s latest contest ‘I eat 5!’. Up to 7,129 children have taken part in the contest, sending in total 326 posters. The goal of the project was two-fold, creating a strong connection between the work carried out in class on nutritional education and the place of school consumption (canteens) and, ultimately, promoting the importance of eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day among children. Lavancia Primary School’s pupils won the first prize of the contest, capturing the jury’s attention for having represented the key concept of the project in a very intuitive way.

UK: Fighting obesity with F&V coupons

It is common knowledge that obesity is closely linked with lower quality, inexpensive food products. This phenomenon is particularly evident in the UK, where two in three adults are overweight. The UK government has decided to not stand by and watch, it will implement Henry Dimbleby’s study (co-founder of fast-food chain Leon). How will be the project set up? Giving vouchers for fresh fruit and vegetables to families, in order to help them to eat healthier. That’s not all, doctors will be empowered to prescribe vouchers, and nutrition education classes will be set up in British schools.

Spain: Citrus for vitamin C

100% natural, rich in vitamin C and a unique flavor! These are the features of oranges, mandarins, lemons and grapefruit that Anecoop is highlighting through its latest promotional campaign launched throughout Spain. The campaign will feature the company’s brand Bouquet as a symbol of tasty, safe and responsibly produced products. The campaign is being broadcasted in February and March, both on several Spanish TV channels and available via streaming. Obviously, a promotional activity on social network can’t be missed. Videos, contests and informative content will be periodically uploaded on social channels too. The campaign’s spot has even been launched on the company’s YouTube channel!

Norway: Eco-friendly production

Bama’s application for a project aimed to increase Norwegian production in a more environmentally sustainable way has been approved by the Norwegian Research Council. The project will form the basis of a digital tool for strategic environmental analyses of different production methods in Norwegian greenhouses. Thanks to a combination of adapted climate control and new LED lighting technology with natural light resources, the project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Upholding cucumbers and tomato consumption is another key aspect of the application. This goal is being achieved through testing new tomato varieties that can better meet the preferences of Norwegian consumers.

Italy: Sustainable products

Agrispesa is an Italian company which provides home-delivery services in the area of northern Italy. It was founded in 2003 and since then has never stopped delivering fresh fruits and vegetables produced by local farmhouses who stand for their efforts in setting up sustainable and animal-friendly productions. On Agrispesa’s website, consumers not only have the opportunity to choose every single product that will compose their own basket, but can also be inspired by the company’s team who will create in their place their shopping bag, inserting mainly seasonal products. In this way costumers can discover new tastes and products after their shopping experiences.

Netherlands: Fresh & tasty, not expensive

Some people might argue that fruits and vegetables prices are too high. This is the idea that the company Postuma AGF wants to fight with a promotional campaign that has been running since the 12 January. The key idea of the communication initiative is to highlight those fruits and vegetables features that can catch the consumer’s attention. That’s the reason why freshness and taste are the main characteristics put in the foreground, coupled with the second central point that the campaign wants to convey, namely the fact that fruit and vegetables aren’t expensive as the majority of consumers tend to think.

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