The Apple. 360°.

The Interpoma Congress has always been the most important moment for experts and key opinion leaders in the apple economy - even now, after the Covid-crisis, this has not changed. At the edition 2020, which took place from November 19-20 in a digital format, top-notch international speakers spoke about the hottest topics of the industry - grower vs consumer and climate change as a challenge and opportunity.

The fist session focused on various aspects of the relationship between the producers' and the consumers' point of view. Why is it that consumers are demanding more and more guarantees of product quality, but are not prepared to pay a reasonable price for it? Also on the agenda of 2020: the topic of sustainable agriculture and the problem of fake news. How can todays producer prevent misreporting and appropriately communicate on social media and beyond?

The second session focused on climate change, which poses major challenges for fruit growing in general - not only because of the climate itself, but also because of invasive species such as insects that come with it. When talking about climate, the next hot topic is of course rootstocks, where the upcoming decade will bring significant improvements for the apple industry. During this session, 3 of the most promising active breeding programs for apple rootstocks presented their objectives, strategies and trends.