Speech at the opening of the International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers Congress

Toespraak | 19-06-2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I begin by welcoming you all to this Congress, especially those of you who have travelled from overseas to be here in the Netherlands. I am delighted that the IFU has chosen our country to host its biennial congress, and it is an honour to open this event.

The Kurhaus Hotel is a very special place, and has a rich history. Many important conferences have been held here - including the first international peace conference in eighteen ninety-four. Your congress is therefore part of a great tradition.

Although we do not have the tropical climate required to grow fruit, the Netherlands is home to a number of major fruit juice producers. Our country also plays a vital role in the sector's transport chain. Almost one and a half billion kilos of fruit juice enter our ports every year. A significant part of the international trade in the raw materials required for these drinks goes through the Netherlands. And that's something to be proud of.

But your sector's most valuable contribution is in terms of quality, including the public health benefits. And this is an issue I would like to discuss further. Too many people in the western world do not eat enough fruit and vegetables. Children would much rather eat sweets than apples, and the consequences can be seen around us. There is a growing problem of obesity among young people, presenting a serious long-term threat to public health. This has prompted several European countries to launch campaigns encouraging children to exercise more and to improve their diet. The European Commissioner for Agriculture even proposed giving free fruit to all school children in Europe, in a scheme similar to the one for milk.

Your sector plays a valuable role in tackling the problem of obesity by allowing people to consume sufficient amounts of fruit easily. If you don't want to take the trouble to peel an orange, you can gratefully turn to a healthy alternative in a bottle. This is a sector which is highly responsive to the needs of modern consumers: speed and convenience are essential, but so is healthy eating. I've noticed that there are new juices on offer at my supermarket almost every month.

The fruit juice industry is increasingly using new types of fruit and adding less sugar. Another recent development has been to add mineral water to juice to reduce its sweetness. Your industry therefore makes a vital contribution to public health. Happily, these innovations have been successfully received.

Fruit juice consumption is rising - across Europe and also in the Netherlands. Your efforts to introduce innovative packaging and new types of juices and blends have met with great success. This shows the high level of quality in your sector.

But your commitment to quality does not end there. You have set very high standards for your products, reflected in the European quality control system you have created. The AIJN Code of Practice for the evaluation of fruit and vegetable juices has been established as a common standard in many countries throughout the world.

Increasing numbers of businesses across the globe have voluntarily signed up to this Code of Practice. I would like to congratulate you on this achievement. I am convinced that producers setting and meeting their own high standards is a much better alternative than laws and regulations imposed by government. It becomes a matter of professional pride to achieve these standards, and you have shown how well this works in practice. I hope the strict demands you place on your products will become an international standard - as this is also in the interests of public health.

I would like to add that quality control should not just be limited to the product itself, but should also involve production methods. The plantations where the fruit is grown must also meet high standards, in terms of both conservation and working conditions. One of the challenges you face is introducing new types of fruit to your range.

When I was young, I could only choose between apple juice and orange juice. Other flavours weren't easily available. Now we see guava, passion fruit and pomegranate juices. A couple of years ago, these fruits were practically unheard of in the Netherlands.

You succeeded in arousing the consumer's curiosity and have made these new juices, which are often rich in vitamins and minerals, incredibly popular. However, the environmental impact of mass cultivation of tropical fruit must also be considered. We have a duty to preserve our world and to stop the further destruction of nature.

Consumers are also becoming increasingly critical - not only about what they eat, but also about how food is produced. Producers must take this into account. That's why I am delighted that you have decided to create a code of practice. It means you are taking responsibility - not only for the quality of the products, but also for the way in which there are produced. The last issue I would like to address is energy use. This is another matter that requires our close attention because we have to be careful to use it as sparingly as we can.

Producers in the Netherlands signed up to the Long-Term Agreements on Energy Efficiency some years ago. Another positive development in the industry is the number of interesting experiments carried out into biomass and re-use of water. I urge you to press on with these initiatives. Although they sometimes require substantial investment, the ultimate benefits will be worth it, as energy is expensive and costs will continue to rise.

I would like end by complimenting you on the way you work together. Although you are of course competing with each other, you are able to see the value of cooperation in a number of areas. You work together to control food safety across all sections of the production chain. You have worked together on new packaging designs and their applications. You have worked together to promote sustainable forms of production. This congress is a fine example of the fruits of your joint efforts.

And that's more than can be said of the many political conferences that have been held in this splendid building over the past one hundred and twenty years.

I wish you all a most interesting and fruitful congress. Thank you.