Twenty years ago, shoppers at U.S. grocery stores contented themselves
with apples, pears, oranges, and bananas. More exotic fruit was
sampled mainly on cruises and as garnishes to tropical drinks. Now
mangoes, papayas, avocados, kiwi fruit, and more are available on
produce shelves year round. This phenomenon is due to rapid growth
in world fruit and vegetable trade. Many factors lie behind this
growth, especially rapid advances in fruit handling and transport
technology. Regional trade agreements and changing consumer preferences
have also played a strong role. A trend toward trade liberalization
and an extension of trading blocs facilitated trade, while rising
incomes have created a middle class that demands quality produce
in all seasons and is willing to pay the price.
Improvements in transportation technology have reduced
delivery time and shipping costs, so that perishable products can
travel
thousands of miles with no substantial loss in freshness and quality.
The marketing reach of perishable products has been further extended
by packaging innovations, new advances in refrigeration and atmosphere
control, fruit and vegetable coatings, and other techniques that
slow deterioration of food products. Satellite technologies, particularly
global positioning systems, are becoming increasingly available
and less expensive. These and other electronic technologies enable
shippers to track their cargo around the world, monitor quality,
reduce the risk (and costs) of liability claims, and shorten cargo
delivery time.
Globalization of trade in fruits and vegetables has provided consumers
with more fruit and vegetable varieties year-round, overcoming seasonality
and smoothing price fluctuations. Fresh grapes, for example, are
now available year round, as California supplies of summer and fall
grapes give way to grapes from Chile, Mexico, and elsewhere during
the winter and spring. Partly as a result of this trade, U.S. per
capita consumption of fresh grapes increased from less than 3 pounds
in the early 1970s to more than 7 pounds over the last several years.
Meanwhile, the United States ships most of its grape exports—mainly
to its NAFTA neighbors (Canada and Mexico) and East Asian countries—from
August to November.