BERLIN — In the dead of European winter, when local fields lie dormant, Berlin will explode with the colors of global agriculture.
From February 4-6, more than 2,500 exhibitors from 90 countries will descend on the German capital for FRUIT LOGISTICA, transforming the city into what organizers call “the global home of fresh produce.”
But beneath the polished displays of exotic fruits and gleaming machinery lies a more complex story: an industry at an inflection point, grappling with climate uncertainty, labor shortages, and the seductive promise—and potential perils—of artificial intelligence.
The Numbers Behind the Spectacle
Last year’s edition drew 91,000 professionals from 151 countries, making it the world’s largest gathering of fruit and vegetable companies.
The satisfaction rate speaks volumes: 95 percent said they’d recommend the event.
Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and France dominate the exhibitor list, though participation from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa continues to climb—a geographic shift that mirrors changing patterns in global trade and consumption.
This year’s theme, “Let’s grow!”, arrives at a moment when growth itself has become complicated.
Alexander Stein, the event’s director, frames it ambitiously: “It reflects our determination to push ahead, to embrace innovation, and to grow not only technologically and economically but also as a global community.”
That community, however, faces pressure from all sides. Rising temperatures are disrupting traditional growing regions.
Consumers demand sustainability while expecting year-round availability. And workers who’ve long powered harvests are increasingly scarce or unwilling to accept seasonal agricultural wages.
The Robot Revolution Comes to the Orchard
Enter the machines. FRUIT LOGISTICA’s Machinery & Technology segment has evolved from showcasing incremental improvements to displaying what looks increasingly like science fiction: AI-driven cultivation systems that predict plant needs before visible symptoms appear, autonomous harvesting robots that work around the clock without complaint, and precision grading lines that assess fruit quality in milliseconds.
The newly published Trend Report 2026 makes the industry’s direction unmistakable. AI technologies are already enhancing production efficiency, quality control, logistics, and retail forecasting.
But experts surveyed for the report identify even more dramatic changes ahead: fully autonomous harvesting, non-destructive quality assessment, and intelligent cold-chain management that could slash food waste.
It’s a transformation with profound implications. For growers struggling to find harvest workers, automation offers salvation.
For the workers themselves—often migrants performing backbreaking seasonal labor—the question is less rosy: what happens when the machines get good enough?
Where Innovation Meets Reality
The Startup World section has become a pilgrimage site for industry veterans hunting for the next breakthrough.
Here, young companies pitch technologies for vertical farming, data-driven production, and logistics optimization.
Some will revolutionize how food reaches our tables. Most will fail. All represent the industry’s nervous energy about what comes next.
“The future often begins with a single meaningful conversation,” the event literature promises. It’s marketing language, but not entirely wrong.
In an industry where relationships still matter—where a handshake in Berlin can determine which Chilean grapes land in German supermarkets—the human element persists even as algorithms creep into every stage of production.
The tension plays out across six expert forums featuring more than 200 speakers and 100 sessions.
Topics range from breeding innovations and greenhouse automation to climate resilience and artificial intelligence. The breadth reveals an industry trying to master multiple revolutions simultaneously.
The Organic Contradiction
More than 200 exhibitors will display certified organic products along a dedicated “Organic Route”—a testament to growing consumer demand for sustainable food.
Yet the same trade show celebrates technologies designed to maximize efficiency and output, often through resource-intensive controlled environments.
It’s a contradiction the industry hasn’t fully reconciled. Can vertical farms powered by massive LED arrays really be sustainable?
Do consumers understand that “organic” produce might travel thousands of miles in refrigerated containers?
These are questions more easily asked than answered, and FRUIT LOGISTICA reflects that ambiguity.
Twenty Years of Tomorrow
This year’s FRUIT LOGISTICA Innovation Award carries special weight as it marks its 20th anniversary.
Since 2007, the award has spotlighted breakthrough technologies—from the Dutch Ecoation’s E-Surveyor in
Also Read
Keeping It fresh: Innovations in perishable logistics for Africa’s growing markets
Africa to Lead Air Travel Growth in 2026, Says IATA
