Education and collaboration are keys to stimulating consumption

The XVII annual professional day '5 a day', held on March 7 in Mercamadrid, brought together representatives of the entire fruit and vegetable chain to analyze consumption trends and the challenges facing the sector. Under the slogan 'Transforming the consumption of the future: health, fruits and vegetables', the event served as a platform for the exchange of ideas and proposals aimed at promoting healthier and more sustainable food. A meeting that was made possible thanks to the support of our global sponsors Euro Pool System and Grupo Cajamar, as well as Primaflor, UNIQ, Sweet Palermo, Cebollas Consuay and Chef Fruit. The event is also supported by Mercamadrid and Fruit Attraction. Its director María José Sánchez presented the latest news of the 2025 edition from September 30 to October 2.

"5 a day" an "oasis" to work together

During the event, the importance of companies in the sector working together to promote the consumption of fruit and vegetables was highlighted. The '5 a day' association highlighted its role as a strategic ally for its members, facilitating tools and actions that reinforce their commitment to health and sustainability. Mercamadrid's general manager, David Chica, highlighted during the inauguration the importance of forums like this one in a context marked by global challenges. "In the midst of the multiple challenges facing the sector 5 a day is an oasis in the desert, a space where the sector can come together to share strategies and make noise to promote a common goal: to improve the health of the population through the consumption of fruits and vegetables." Among the recent or current challenges he mentioned Covid, Ukraine, inflation, climate change and the new tariff war.

Differentiating the important from the secondary

The most inspiring moment of the day came with Emilio Duró's speech, who, with his overwhelming energy and characteristic sense of humor, managed to connect with the audience from the very first minute. Under the title "We come to life to differentiate the important from the secondary", he offered a presentation full of optimism and reflections on the attitude with which we face the daily challenges with anecdotes in the emotion and clean humor all attendees to rethink their priorities and to value the importance of health and happiness in personal relationships above the material.

Round table

One of the key moments of the event was the round table "Food trends: the role of fruits and vegetables in the future", moderated by David Baños (COEXPHAL). It was attended by Ana Molina, dietitian-nutritionist, innovation consultant and founder of Ren.U.; David del Pino, managing partner at Freshstrategy; Miguel Angel Domene, head of the food area of Cajamar; Rodrigo de la Calle, prestigious chef and expert in vegetable cuisine. All the speakers participating in the round table agreed on the growing importance of these foods in our diet and the need to accompany this trend with innovation, training and a change in eating habits.

Bringing more emotions to the table

Rodrigo de la Calle, recently named best vegetable chef in the World, pointed out that "fruits and vegetables are not only healthy, but can be a real explosion of flavor and pleasure at the table. We must change the approach, it is not just about eating well for health, but to enjoy every bite, to get excited with the colors, aromas and textures that these products offer us. The key is to learn how to cook them, to give them the prominence they deserve and to transmit that passion to the consumer". David del Pino, for his part, highlighted the polarization of consumption in recent years, pointing out that "middle class consumption has disappeared, which leads us to a scenario in which the product is cheap or you go to a more exclusive market with higher value-added products. This change forces the sector to rethink its strategies and adapt to new consumer demands.

How to turn fruits and vegetables into a real trend

According to the perspective of Miguel Angel Domene, head of Cajamar, scientific research is key to advancing our understanding of how food impacts our health and to developing innovative solutions that promote healthier and more sustainable eating. Nutritionist Ana Molina shared the vision that the main objective is to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in the future. For her, the key to achieving this goal lies in turning these products into a real trend. This involves not only raising awareness of their health benefits, but also integrating fruits and vegetables into people's daily routines by making them perceived as attractive, modern and necessary food choices.

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