Europe: import value share of fresh fruit and vegetables 2021

Europe is responsible for about 44 percent of worldwide fresh fruit and vegetable imports. In 2021, Germany was the leading importer among the European countries, receiving eight percent of the world's fresh fruit and vegetables.

European health and fitness market

In the world, Europe is often perceived as a place that emphasises personal health and sports, as 12 of the leading 20 healthiest countries are situated there. Europeans also have some of the highest health expectancies across the globe, and have the highest number of people working in health services. For Europeans, nutrition and fitness go hand in hand, as many of them value sports and getting outside. It should come as no surprise then, that Europeans are more willing to eat more vegetables, as new research shows benefits of plant-based eating.

Global focus on nutrition

Not everywhere can increase fruit and vegetable consumption and production, however. Despite this, consumers across the globe are slowly becoming more aware of the impacts of their diets. Worldwide, the market size of the health and nutrition industry over 700 billion U.S. dollars annually. For these reasons, some consumers are choosing to favor vegetable and vegetable derived products over meat. Between 2019 and 2024, Asia Pacific is forecasted to have the largest compound annual growth rate of plant-based beverages and foods, at almost 16 percent.