Pacific Trade Invest (PTI) Europe Trade Commissioner, Jodie Stewart, is now on the ground in Geneva, establishing connections for Pacific businesses and identifying the current trade trends, marketing standards, and best practices to break into the European market.
Jodie has identified that a ‘clean label’ demand, driven by a consumer trend towards fewer and more natural ingredients, is widespread across the European market.
“One of the first things I have noticed is that as the impact of COVID-19 continues to linger in Europe, consumers are becoming increasingly risk-averse, whilst also being more concerned about their health and wellness and the state of the environment. The clean label demand continues to drive new product development,” said Jodie.
“Consumers want to know that the company behind a food or beverage product also has a ‘clean’ image. This also extends to branding, where the packaging, look and feel should evoke and sell the clean product within.”
Jodie says that in Europe, it feels as though sustainability is being championed in every product category.
“Many food companies and manufacturers now are focused on developing food solutions based on ingredients obtained through sustainable agricultural practices and mild processing. It is important to be minimising environmental impact and preserving the natural characteristic of the raw material into the final product as much as possible.
“Even the European savoury snacks industry is determined to help address these global challenges by moving towards more sustainable food systems, publicly stating that they believe food systems should be climate adapted, nutritious and efficient, and at the same time not losing sight of small-scale producers.”
Whilst traditional Pacific knowledge often results in inherent sustainable practices adopted in most processing facilities across the Blue Pacific, businesses looking to export into the European sustainable market will be required to understand and adhere to the expectations and certification processes of European manufacturers.
Europeans are looking to reduce their environmental impact; they actively pursue this objective by applying environmentally responsible strategies to all phases of business operations. In October, the French Government announced plans to ban fruit and vegetables from being sold in plastic packaging from 2022, a trend likely to sweep across the rest of Europe. Therefore, suppliers will be evaluated for their own practices, especially when they are being shipped halfway around the world.
Building sustainability into the business management process could mean shifting to sustainable resources – including renewable power,
or bio-based fuels.Or it could mean a change to sustainable packaging, such as made from recycled products that can be re-recycled, further adding kudos to products.
Jodie says changing to eco-friendly packaging will have rewards both from a marketing perspective and an environmental one.
“Picking up on the marketing angle, the Blue Pacific already conjures up blue skies, crystal-clear waters and lush, fertile lands. We want buyers in Europe to really feel that when they are looking for products to put in supermarket aisles – something that will make the end-user customer decide to purchase – Pacific products offer a truly organic, natural feel that is backed up by the different components, such as sustainable processing, packaging and business practices.
“It is also important that the company is able to be found online, either by a website or through social media. European customers are known to be highly dependent on digital devices, either to make a purchase or research about a product or service they are interested in. So, companies must begin by creating content that their target audience is searching for and being in the places where their content can be found.
“If Blue Pacific businesses are wanting to break into the European market, then these are some of the factors they need to consider. I am here to help advise and support any business that wishes to do so,” says Jodie.
If you have questions about entering the European market, you can email PTI Europe Trade Commissioner Jodie Stewart on Jodie.Stewart@pacifictradeinvest.com.
