AIJN unveils its Vision for a Healthy and Sustainable Future

2024-09-17

President's Call for Collective Action

In the introduction, AIJN President Javier Lorenzo highlights the important role of the fruit juice sector in both the European and global food value chain. With a focus on supporting small and medium enterprises (SMEs), AIJN’s vision recognizes the need to rethink agricultural practices amid accelerating climate change to ensure sustainable and continued production. He underscores AIJN’s mission to maintain competitiveness in the fruit juice industry while prioritizing consumer well-being and environmental sustainability.

Key Pillars of AIJN's Vision

The document outlines two major pillars that guide AIJN’s strategy:

• Health and Nutrition: With only 12% of the population meeting the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, some 100% fruit juices provide an accessible source of key nutrients like vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Importantly, fruit juices contain no added sugars and contribute only 1-3% of daily energy intake, meaning they do not cause excess weight gain nor impact obesity risk. Research further highlights their benefits, including a potential reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly due to their polyphenol and potassium content. In response to growing consumer demand, the industry is also introducing reduced-sugar fruit juices, offering health-conscious options with reduced natural sugar without sacrificing the benefits of 100% fruit juices.
• Sustainability and Environmental Commitment: AIJN is committed to sustainability, ensuring the fruit juice sector adopts environmentally and socially responsible practices throughout the supply chain. The industry is focusing on reducing food waste by using surplus fruits and repurposing by-products like peels. Packaging innovation is a key priority, with a push toward recyclable, lighter materials aligned with the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan. Additionally, the sector is actively working to improve energy efficiency, reduce water usage, and cut greenhouse gas emissions as part of its decarbonization efforts. Through initiatives like the Sustainable Juice Platform and Covenant, AIJN is driving towards 100% sustainable sourcing by 2030, fostering sustainable practices across the entire industry.

Advancing the Future of European Fruit Juice: Key Policy Recommendations

To keep guaranteeing a prosperous future for both consumers and the environment and to reach full potential of the juice sector, support is needed from EU policymakers to continue driving the competitiveness of European industry through an enabling legislative framework recognizing the specificities of the fruit juice sector. In particular, AIJN calls on policymakers to:

• Ensure a coherent, science-based legislation, a unified Single Market, and open trade policies. Key advocacy points include:

• In health: recognise 100% fruit juice's unique nutritional value, distinct from other beverages.
• In packaging: address the specific challenges of fruit juices in the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, especially regarding reuse for microbiological sensitive products.
• In labelling: Support science-based revisions to the Food Information to Consumers Regulation and careful assessment of origin labelling impacts.
• In trade: Promote reduced trade tariffs to strengthen our industry’s competitiveness and growth.

• For the green transition, AIJN calls for comprehensive sustainability legislation, financial support for the green transition(particularly for SMEs), and the completion of the Sustainable Food System Framework.
• Finally, AIJN emphasizes fruit juices as a solution to Europe’s food challenges, offering essential nutrients, affordability, and practicality for consumers.

Through its advocacy efforts, AIJN seeks to create a legislative framework that promotes consumer well-being, enhances industry competitiveness, and drives sustainability throughout the European fruit juice sector. 

For a detailed look at AIJN’s key asks and vision, the full document and summary are available for download below.