It was one of those mornings where the smell of fruit filled the air and the chatter of early shoppers blended with the calls of local vendors. I was there to meet Amy, a young and thoughtful consumer, for our EXCEL4MED project, a Horizon Europe–funded initiative that aims to make fruit supply chains across the Mediterranean more sustainable. 

 

As we walked through the colourful stalls, Amy spoke about what matters most to her when buying fruit, freshness, fair prices, and ethical practices. She explained how buying directly from farmers guarantees freshness and supports local producers, all while keeping prices fair. For her, sustainability isn’t just about the environment; it’s about fairness, transparency, and mindful choices. When I mentioned our project’s goal of transforming surplus fruit, the peels, the leftovers, the unused, into new products like snacks, superfoods, and cosmetics, her eyes lit up. “That’s a win-win,” she said, “we’d be supporting farmers and reducing waste at the same time.” 

 

This article and video are a part series of the EXCEL4MED project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, aims to boost innovation in the agri-food sector across Malta, Greece, and France. With its website now fully available in French, Italian, Spanish, and English, more stakeholders, including researchers, producers, policymakers, and consumers, can engage with the project in the language they feel most comfortable with. Read more on: https://excel4med.eu/. 

 

Koperattivi Malta is proud to support this initiative in collaboration with:
@EXCEL4MED @MaltaFoodAgency @MaltaEnterprise @TheMaltaChamber @UniversityofMalta @SmartAgroHub