Trends and foundation for the future at Interpera 2022

Have you already bought your tickets for the international pear conference Interpera 2022? From 28 to 30 June 2022, the pear sector will meet in Rotterdam (the Netherlands) to discuss the sector’s latest developments. New speakers joined the program of the congress day. Hans Steenbergen from Food Inspiration, a trend watcher, journalist, columnist and a much sought-after presenter will close the conference in an inspiring way. Order your tickets now at www.interpera.org.

On Wednesday 29 June, the Interpera conference will take place in the Zalmhuis in Rotterdam. Last month, Cindy van Rijswick (Rabobank) and Helwig Schwartau (AMI) joined the speakers the most important market developments in pears worldwide. 
 Furthermore, recently new speakers have been added to the program. Hans Steenbergen from Food Inspiration magazine (digital magazine for food professionals) will close the congress in a visual and compelling way. He will speak about the emerging trends following the Corona-19 crisis, the global challenge and the rise of the Chief Executive Consumer (CEC). What is the foundation for the menu of the future and the role of pears? Hans Steenbergen links food trends to numerous social, demographic and technical developments. He is often referred to as the 'food service philosopher' with creative quotes such as "vegetables and fruit are the most beautiful brands of Mother Earth". 

Who eats which pear? 
In addition to market developments, consumer developments are also an important theme during Interpera. Is the pear regaining popularity in Western Europe? The consumption of pears in Europe has been under pressure for years, but is there a turnaround? The Dutch, British and Germans bought an average of 5 percent more pears in 2021 than a year earlier. Consumption also increased in 2020. The Conference pear predominates, but new varieties are emerging. You will hear more details and insight into the growth opportunities during the conference. 


Pear harvest 2021: lowest volume in the past 20 years 
In 2021, the pear harvest in the European Union was a quarter lower than in 2020 due to late frosts in the spring. For example, pear growers picked 1.7 billion kilos. This was the lowest volume in the past 20 years. In Italy, the main EU pear producer, the 2021 harvest fell sharply. For example, Italians only picked 200 million kilos, while the average in the previous 10 years was almost 700 million kilos. What are the harvest expectations for 2022? We give you the first indications during Interpera.  

The brown marmorared stink bug 
In addition to frost problems, the brown marmorared stink bug has caused considerable damage in Italian pear cultivation in recent years, and is now entering other countries. Professor Lara Maistrello of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia has conducted years of research into the fight against the stink bug. Lara will show the latest research results at Interpera and is hopeful that parasitization can defeat the stink bug. But the fact is that the Italian pear surface has decreased considerably. 

Buy your tickets now 
The Interpera 2022 participants will enjoy technical visits on Tuesday 28 June, the conference will take place on Wednesday 29 June, and will close with the Pearday in Krabbendijke on Thursday 30 June.  Read the full programme online in English and French.

Buy your tickets before April 10th and receive a 20% discount through the Early Bird sale on www.interpera.org

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