MARKET INSIGHTS

Identifying fraudulent activities in agricultural markets is becoming a significant challenge. Practices that damage small & medium-scale farmers and buyers, such as origin mislabelling of fruit, mainly benefit the malicious actors that engage in these activities seeking to reap maximum profits. The Kiwi market, especially that of southern European countries, has been especially affected by this phenomenon. 

2022 and 2023 have been marked by constant turmoil in many agricultural product markets, especially for olive oil (abbr.: OO). The B2B OO market disruptions generated high uncertainty for its participants, especially regarding packaged products wholesalers and food production units (abbr.: FPUs) that use olive oil as a raw material.

When products are exported through maritime transportation, there are some international commerce terms that the two sides may choose to add to their contracts. These terms dictate which side is liable for the safety and the logistical procedures regarding the traded products, as well as for all costs that come with them, at each point in the supply chain. Two of the most widely used terms as such are CIF (which stands for “Cost, Insurance and Freight”) and FOB (“Free on Transportation”).

In agriculture, this year has been characterized by significant disruptions in fresh produce supply chains. These disturbances are mainly owed to unexpected meteorological phenomena and increases
in production costs.