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Live from PMA, USA: General session highlights
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During the Friday general session, President Cathie Burns and CEO Bryan Silberman have drawn the fresh produce industry statement in front of 1000+ professionals.
They first pointed out the value of PMA Fresh Summit to share experience over technologies. They agree on necessity to develop new technologies in order to meet the challenge of food consumption in future years. Experts announced that food production must increase by 70% by 205o to keep pace in the world.
Produce safety and ransparency are most demanded by end customers to get proofs on how fresh produce are growing, new technologies have been experienced in that field.
As for distribution, market shares of retail chains are flat or slightlydeclining in some areas as w eastern Europe, Australia. But the growth is very high in Asia and Africa which are big potential markets in next decades. In these areas, middle class population is growing and together retail chains are developed.
By 2030, there will be an addition of 630 million people to feed. On the planet, experts forecast that middle class population will go from 1 billion people in 2009 to 4 billions in 2020. These are strong positive forecasts for fresh produce industry.
another trend mentioned is development of ethnic consumption, the fastest growing segment thanks to a multi cultural society, used to share information and experience with any person in the world. This is again a great opportunity.
in regards with new communication technology, one must pay attention by the development of online shopping, as the amazonflash experience here in the United states, together with the growing importance of recommendations by friends in a corporate communication. Transparency, recommendations by friends is the most trusted advertising.
Top managers of PMA have strongly pointed out the responsibility of fresh produce Comunity to act for abetter health. To give an idea of the importance of that subject, do you know that 30% of the western population is overweighted or obese? This is affecting more and more young generations. In 2004, 4 % of the world young population was obese, it is 6% in 2010, and experts forecast 9.9% in 2020.
Cathie Burns has strongly warned: " if nothing is done, next generation will see their life expectation decline I'm comparison with their parents."
to cope with this, PMA has developed an ambitious program : " eat brighter" with the White house and Michelle Obama. Free characters are available for professionals to use on their communication and packaging. 30,000 supermarkets in USA are supporting the campaign.
