Freshfel Europe releases COVID-19 Impact Assessment for the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector

Freshfel Europe has released its Impact Assessment of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector, including recommendations for policy-makers. In conjunction with its members, Freshfel Europe compiled the 88-page COVID-19 Impact Assessment to accurately outline the effect the pandemic has had on the sector over the last few months and what implications this may have in the short, medium and long-term for the supply of fresh produce to consumers.

Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment, which covers the effects of the pandemic on the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector until the beginning of May, provides an in-depth analysis of the implications of the health crisis for each stage of the supply chain. Freshfel Europe General Delegate Philippe Binard explained, “While the sector has been able to provide a continuous supply of fresh, safe and healthy produce to consumers during the pandemic, Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment reviews the key challenges that the sector has been confronted with over the last two months. This includes workforce, availability and protection, new logistics constraints, market performance as well as an analysis of the economic impact and added costs for the supply chain due to the pandemic”.

The COVID-19 Impact Assessment offers specific recommendations for policy-makers for each stage of the supply chain as well as for the fruit and vegetables sector as a whole. Further support will be needed for the sector to safeguard its competitiveness in the coming months and to secure the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables to consumers throughout 2020 and beyond.

Freshfel Europe’s COVID-19 Impact Assessment is available to download here, including a fact sheet summarizing the document’s main elements.