New season for Pink Lady®: a harvest with great potential
A volume slightly affected by climate hazards
Despite a spring that suffered from several frost periods, a record summer in terms of heat, and an autumn that we thought would not come, the Pink Lady® Europe Association is estimating around 190,000 tonnes of Pink Lady® and PinKids® quality apples, i.e. an 8% increase compared to the previous season, based on a stable European apple volume. Quality is a priority for the brand, which is committed to rigorously selecting the best apples according to specifications shared by all members of the network. The fruit size distribution should be balanced, and the sugar level will guarantee renewed pleasure.
The harvest, which is a key moment in the season, was widely shared with consumers: over 1,200 sponsors of the Adopt-a-Tree campaign were able to discover the orchards and meet our growers. In addition, 12 orchards in France, Italy and Spain opened their doors and welcomed a total of 650 participants (adults, students and children), all curious to find out what makes this apple so unique.
New harvest, new projects
Pink Lady® Europe is starting this new season with several initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining consumers:
- a media campaign aiming to reach over 350 million contacts with the “What can Pink Lady® do for you today?” ad broadcast on TV in 10 countries and online in 3 countries, as well as the brand’s sustainable commitments presented in magazines in 6 countries, and digital reinforcement via future content sponsorship.
- inspiring cross-channel campaigns such as Pink Chefs, which highlights cooking with Pink Lady®, and will be back in January 2023 on the theme of Fast Good, quick and healthy Pink Lady® apple- based recipes. Our three other high points – Valentine’s Day, Adopt-a-Tree and Bee Pink – will also be back in the spring.
- Three new shopping bags will be available in nearly 2 million 2kg-trays throughout the season, with a design by Martin Sati, who created the brand’s packaging, a creation by talented Spanish artist Carlota Pereiro, and a floral version by Ludovilk Myers.
- A children’s range with PinKids® which continues to build on its positive momentum and will be associated with the successful Minions licence for the second year in a row in 9 countries. Over 1 million dedicated punnets will be available in stores from December, and a contest will be held from 5th December 2022 to 23rd March 2023!
A committed network
Pink Lady® continues to develop its CSR policy with 3 major projects this season:
- Biodiversity-based experiments:
After an initial year of auditing, experiments are still ongoing in the orchards, particularly regarding tits – beneficial animals that naturally help fight against codling moths – in partnership with the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (the French league for the protection of birds), a member of BirdLife International, as well as the inventory of agro-ecological infrastructures set up by farmers.
- Supporting the transition of growers towards the orchards of the future
10 plots were planted in Europe this winter, with a view to testing and evaluating new ways of managing Pink Lady® orchards. Decision-making tools for weather forecasts with WeatherForce are also being developed, as is the optimisation of water management with the creation of an irrigation control indicator based on evapotranspiration.
- Net zero carbon target for agricultural production by 2030
In 2023, the results of the PEREN project (environmental performance of apples) will be released as part of Green GO: this work aims to identify and evaluate ways of improving the environmental performance of apples throughout the network, from the planting of the trees to the arrival of the fruit at consumer homes. The avenues for improvement identified will be assessed from a technical, economic and environmental point of view, using life cycle analysis. They will be presented at the SIVAL trade show in Angers on 18th January 2023.
This season will be filled with challenges for Pink Lady® Europe, with a view to sustaining its momentum, its commitments, as well as its proximity to consumers.
