The Fruit Attraction fair, organized by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX and held from September 30 to October 2, once again hosted the Innovation Hub Awards, awards that recognize and highlight the R&D&i efforts of the entire fresh produce sector as well as individual companies.
In this edition, a total of nine products were selected as finalists from among 50 participants, and their representatives presented their candidacies today before the jury at the Fruit Forum by Timac Agro. After deliberation, the winners were chosen in each of the three categories — Fresh Produce, F&V Industry, and Sustainability and Commitment Actions.
In the Fresh Produce category, the first prize went to the apple variety HOT84A1, marketed under the brand Tutti™, making it the first apple variety in the world specifically developed to withstand warm climates and marking a new step in its international expansion.
The award, endowed with 2,000 euros for each winner, was received by Simó Alegre, Director of Research and Innovation Development at IRTA. With this recognition, Tutti™ reinforces its position as an example of innovation, sustainability, and quality in the international fresh produce sector.
The Innovation Hub Awards have become a key event to promote entrepreneurial initiative in the sector, honoring projects, products, or services that stand out for their innovation, sustainability, applied technology, and knowledge. Companies and co-exhibitors at the fair are eligible to participate as long as their products, solutions, or services have been commercialized after September 1, 2024, and have not competed in previous editions.
Tutti™, a cultivation alternative for apples adapted to warm climates
Tutti™ is a bright red, juicy, sweet, and crisp apple with notes of honey and melon. It has been evaluated in various production trials and consumer studies, achieving excellent acceptance. Its development was made possible thanks to the Hot Climate Partnership, an international breeding program led by Plant & Food Research (New Zealand Bioeconomy Science Institute), Fruitfutur (a fruit producers’ association in Catalonia), and IRTA, with over twenty years of research and the evaluation of more than 100,000 trees.
Since its launch in February 2023, more than 900 hectares of Tutti™ apple orchards have been licensed in Spain, South America, the United Kingdom, and China. Last September, VentureFruit, the strategic partner for the commercialization of Hot Climate Partnership varieties, signed an agreement with Joy Wing Mau, one of China’s leading fruit producers and distributors, planning to plant 300 hectares of Tutti™ apple trees. With this agreement, Joy Wing Mau joins the global network of producing partners, which includes Copefrut S.A. (South America), Worldwide Fruit (United Kingdom), and Fruitfutur (Catalonia).
