Fruit miles evolution in European trade. Is social awareness really effective?

Purpose In EU, fruit production is insufficient to meet the current demand, raising the question of where these fruits should be sourced. Transporting fruits has an environmental impact that undermines the goal of achieving sustainable fruit production and consumption. The aim of this article is to assess the patterns in the EU fruit trade, track the evolution of EU fruit miles and measure their potential evolution. Design/methodology/approach Complex network analysis (CNA) is used to perform a topological characterisation of the fruit trade network and defines the role of each country in the EU's global trade. Additionally, mixed integer linear programming (MILP) is used to measure the potential reduction in fruit miles for different types of produce and to assess trends in fruit miles relative to a benchmark. Findings No reduction in food miles is observed over time. Among all evaluated fruits, those that can be produced within the EU have the highest potential for reducing fruit miles. Moreover, the flow patterns for each fruit can be observed. Furthermore, this study identifies closer potential EU suppliers. Research limitations/implications The lack of precise data on fruit consumption for each country leads to the assumption that the net flow balance serves as a proxy for national consumption, while the absence of disaggregated monthly food trade data hinders a deeper analysis of the reciprocity relationships. Originality/value The evolution of the EU fruit trade market and its associated food miles have not yet been evaluated in the literature review.