Christina Freier: "Innovation creates the most value when it delivers measurable improvements"

During a presentation held in Madrid, FRUIT LOGISTICA unveiled the strategic priorities for its 2027 edition, which will take place in Berlin from 3 to 5 February. One of the main new features is the Buyers Club, an exclusive network connecting 500 international buyers with decision-making authority with companies from across the fresh produce value chain.

In this interview with Postharvest.biz, Christina Freier, Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA, explains what these buyers value when selecting technology and service providers, which solutions are gaining importance in investment decisions, and what opportunities the trade show offers Spanish and Latin American companies.

With the launch of the Buyers Club, what do major international buyers value most when selecting technology and service providers for the fresh produce sector?

Today’s international buyers look beyond individual products or technologies. They are looking for partners who understand the realities of the fresh produce business and can help them address increasingly complex challenges.

Whether the objective is to reduce food losses, improve product quality, optimise operations, or increase supply chain resilience, buyers are placing growing importance on solutions that provide proven business value. Beyond innovation itself, they are looking for technologies that deliver measurable efficiency improvements, support long-term competitiveness, and are backed by reliable partners who understand their business. Reliability, scalability, and long-term collaboration have become just as important as technical excellence.

This is precisely the idea behind our new Buyers Club. It is designed to connect pre-verified international decision-makers with exhibitors whose expertise matches their purchasing priorities, making business meetings more targeted, relevant, and ultimately valuable for both sides.

What I personally find encouraging is that conversations are increasingly focused on solving shared challenges rather than simply comparing products. That collaborative mindset is one of the fresh produce sector’s greatest strengths.

Christina Freier, Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA

From your perspective, which postharvest areas are becoming more important in investment decisions: automation, quality control, storage, packaging, logistics, or others?

Across the sector, investment is increasingly being directed towards technologies that improve efficiency, resilience, and resource management throughout the postharvest chain.

We are seeing particularly strong interest in automation and robotics, digital quality control, cold chain optimisation, intelligent storage and ripening solutions, sustainable packaging, and data-driven logistics. Rather than optimising individual processes in isolation, companies are increasingly investing in integrated solutions that improve the overall performance of their operations.

These investments share a clear objective: reducing losses, protecting product quality, improving consistency, and making better use of resources. As climate-related challenges, cost pressures, and changing trade flows reshape the sector, automation, digitalisation, and resource efficiency are becoming key factors in investment decisions.

From what I observe across the global sector, innovation today is less about adopting the latest technology and more about implementing solutions that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.

Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the sector’s major trends. In which specific applications do you believe it is already delivering real value to the fresh produce supply chain?

Artificial intelligence is no longer a topic for the future. We are already seeing it generate tangible value at different stages of the fresh produce value chain.

AI is being applied to robotics and autonomous handling; precision agriculture, including irrigation, crop protection, and fertilisation; automated quality inspection using computer vision; demand forecasting; logistics planning; cold chain optimisation; and the analysis of production and supply chain data.

What I find particularly interesting is that companies are adopting AI for very practical reasons. They are not investing in artificial intelligence because it is fashionable, but because it helps them improve quality, increase efficiency, and use resources more responsibly.

This reflects a broader trend we are seeing across the sector: innovation creates the most value when it delivers measurable improvements for companies, their customers, and consumers.

Are buyers increasingly demanding measurable sustainability results, such as reduced food losses and lower energy and water consumption, or an extended product shelf life?

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in purchasing decisions, but buyers tend to focus on the aspects that have the greatest impact on product quality, reliability, and commercial success.

One issue that appears repeatedly is product shelf life. As supply chains become longer and more international, buyers are placing greater importance on varieties and postharvest solutions that help maintain quality during transport and storage.

Reducing food losses is another important objective. In many cases, however, this is best achieved by improving product resilience and extending shelf life so that fruit and vegetables reach consumers in the best possible condition.

At the same time, retailers are responding to evolving consumer expectations. More and more people want fruit and vegetables to be sourced and transported responsibly, and retailers are increasingly reflecting these expectations in their purchasing decisions, for example by prioritising transport options with a lower environmental impact whenever feasible.

Ultimately, sustainability is becoming part of overall product quality. The most successful solutions combine commercial performance, responsible production, and supply reliability.

What do Spanish and Latin American postharvest technology companies need to demonstrate to gain visibility and generate business opportunities with international buyers?

Spain and Latin America are among the world’s leading fresh produce regions. Together, they are home to highly innovative companies that play a fundamental role in helping the sector produce, preserve, and distribute fruit and vegetables more efficiently and sustainably.

At the same time, international competition is becoming increasingly intense. Companies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are making significant investments in production capacity, technology, and innovation, making differentiation more important than ever.

For postharvest technology providers, success increasingly depends on demonstrating measurable value. International buyers want to know not only what a technology does, but also how it improves product quality, extends shelf life, reduces food losses, optimises operations, or strengthens supply chain resilience. They are looking for solution providers that understand their business and can support their long-term growth.

This is where FRUIT LOGISTICA makes a real difference. As the world’s leading trade show for the fresh produce business, it offers an unrivalled international platform where technology providers can meet decision-makers from across the value chain, gain valuable market insights, and build long-lasting business relationships.

Since taking over as Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA, one thing has impressed me time and again: the sector’s determination to continue innovating. Whether I am speaking with established market leaders or young technology companies, I meet people who are passionate about developing practical solutions that make the fresh produce business more efficient, resilient, and sustainable. Creating the right environment for these innovators to connect with international buyers is precisely what motivates us.