Summer 2017: the heatwave’s positive effect on the Mediterranean harvest

Despite slowly reaching its end, summer 2017 has not given up with another heatwave hitting European countries. 

Europe has already experienced extraordinarily hot months this season. July and August will be remembered for their high temperatures, often over 40°C in some Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Hungary, and Spain.

Hot weather often creates issues for farmers supplying vegetables and fruits. The lack of rainfall leads to droughts and water rationing, which affects harvests and the quantity / quality of vegetables for the final consumers.

Due to drought, harvests in Spain and Italy may register a decline for some vegetables and fruits such as tomatoes and grapes. As Spain is one of the main suppliers of vegetables and fruit in the UK, a poor harvest there will have a direct impact on British consumers’ shopping baskets, with consumers likely to avoid purchasing pricey items.

However, high temperatures may also have a positive influence on some harvests, potentially contributing to a higher quality of produce. As a consequence of the heat and drought, plants reduce the number of fruits and vegetables they produce, but also release more water. As a result, plants tend to contain and concentrate more organoleptic components, including a higher sugary content, which increases the taste and the quality of fruit and vegetables.

Quality is often the key factor driving consumers while shopping, especially in Europe. Evidence in Globaldata’s Q3 2016 global survey results reveal that 46% of European consumers find that quality is the most influencing factors when choosing food, in comparison with just over one third of European consumers indicating price as the main driver.  

While the European heatwave will definitely have important consequences on fruit and vegetable consumption, suppliers and manufacturers should justify price increases by promoting the higher quality of the items that the final consumers can find on the supermarket shelves.