“If you always offer the best, it has to be known”: the value of brands and varieties in fruits and vegetables

With the aim of highlighting this reality and promoting clearer and more transparent information at the point of sale, ANOVE has launched the campaign “If you always offer the best, it has to be known”, an initiative aimed at sector professionals, distributors, and consumers to promote the correct use of brands, varieties, and types in fruits and vegetables.

The campaign is based on a simple but essential idea: behind every fruit and vegetable there is significant work in research, innovation, and plant breeding that deserves to be recognized and properly identified. Knowing exactly what product is being purchased benefits not only the consumer but also the entire food chain.

In the fruit and vegetable sector, there is often some confusion between concepts such as variety, brand, or commercial type. However, each has a different meaning and fulfills a specific function within the value chain.

The plant variety refers to the genetic material developed through plant breeding that provides specific characteristics such as flavor, color, texture, resistance, or productivity. The brand, on the other hand, is the commercial identifier that distinguishes a product and conveys trust and differentiation to the consumer. Finally, the type refers to a commercial or descriptive category of the product.

The ANOVE campaign emphasizes the need to use these concepts correctly and ensure precise and transparent labeling. According to the association, poor identification can create confusion, harm the purchasing experience, and negatively affect producers, distributors, and consumers alike.

When a consumer buys a fruit or vegetable expecting certain characteristics in flavor, texture, or quality, and the product does not actually correspond to the indicated variety or brand, there is a loss of trust that directly impacts the entire chain.

One of the central messages of the campaign is to highlight the effort behind each new plant variety. Breeding companies invest significant economic and human resources in research and development to obtain varieties that meet market and consumer needs.

According to data shared by ANOVE, developing a new variety can require between 10 and 12 years of work and an investment of around €1.5 million. In addition, companies in the sector allocate more than 20% of their revenue to R&D&I activities.

Thanks to this innovative effort, the sector now has fruits and vegetables that are more resistant, better tasting, longer lasting, and adapted to new demands for sustainability and production efficiency.

Commercial brands allow this added value to be transferred to the market and ensure a consistent and recognizable experience for the consumer. As in other food sectors, brands in fruits and vegetables act as a guarantee of quality, traceability, and trust.

One of the main objectives of the “It has to be known” campaign is to strengthen transparency at the point of sale. ANOVE believes that providing clear and truthful information about fruit and vegetable products improves the purchasing experience and strengthens the relationship of trust with consumers.

The initiative includes educational materials explaining how to differentiate a variety from a brand, what the legal labeling requirements are, and what the most common violations detected in the market are. These include improper use of registered trademarks, incorrect use of varietal names, or confusion between variety and commercial type.

Today’s consumer increasingly values the origin, quality, and authenticity of the food they buy. Being able to correctly identify a variety or a brand allows them to repeat satisfactory consumption experiences and choose products with greater knowledge.

In countries such as France, for example, there is a stronger culture of varietal identification in certain fruit and vegetable products. Consumers recognize specific varieties and associate them with particular qualities. ANOVE believes that Spain must also move in this direction to showcase the significant innovation within the sector.

The campaign was officially presented at Fruit Attraction and has the support of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and MERCASA. Following its launch, outreach actions continue in different wholesale markets and distribution points across Spain to bring the message closer to both professional operators and end consumers.

The goal is to involve the entire food chain in the importance of responsible labeling and the proper use of brands and varieties. From plant breeding to retail shelves, every link plays a key role in ensuring that consumers receive accurate and reliable information.

The campaign includes informational brochures, visual materials, social media actions, and outreach activities aimed at raising awareness about the importance of respecting intellectual property and recognizing the value of varietal innovation.

ANOVE also reminds that plant varieties are the first link in the agri-food chain. Without seeds and improved plants, it would not be possible to meet current major challenges: producing more food, adapting to climate change, reducing inputs, and offering higher-quality products.

Plant breeding is responsible for a large part of the increase in agricultural productivity recorded in recent decades and will continue to be essential to ensure sustainable and competitive food systems.

For this reason, protecting brands and ensuring the correct identification of varieties is not only a commercial issue but also a way to recognize and support the innovation that drives the entire sector.

With the campaign “If you always offer the best, it has to be known,” ANOVE aims to open a necessary debate on the value of brands, transparency, and innovation in fruits and vegetables.

In an environment where consumers demand increasingly more information and quality, correctly identifying products is not a minor detail: it is a tool to build trust, differentiate innovative efforts, and strengthen the competitiveness of the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector.

Because behind every variety there are years of research, investment, and work. And when the best is offered, it indeed has to be known.