Freshfel Europe has released this week its latest edition of the Consumption Monitor. The report provides a comparison of consumption trends in the EU-27 as a whole and in each Member State based on official statistics from EUROSTAT and FAOSTAT.
In the past two decades, the Freshfel Europe Consumption Monitor has become increasingly important in evaluating the trends of fresh fruit and vegetable production, trade, and consumption in Europe. The report, whose look and structure were revamped this year on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, is a unique document looking both at the business development and the evolution of the daily diet of fresh produce in Europe.
This year’s edition shows that the average fruit and vegetable consumption in the EU grew to 364,58 g/day/capita in 2021, a 2,19% increase from 2020 and 1,27% above the average of the previous five years. This growth is in line with the positive trend that started in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has changed the lifestyle of Europeans, in addition to increasing their sympathy towards environmental causes and climate change. However, fruit and vegetable consumption is still almost 10% below the minimum 400 g/day/capita recommended by the WHO, and is under further pressure in Europe because of the economic crisis following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in 2022, which is severely impacting consumer purchasing power and limiting their food expenditure.
The Freshfel Europe Consumption Monitor is available for all Freshfel members.
