FPEF represents South Africa’s fresh produce export industry, advocating for market access, trade facilitation, and industry development. The forum works with government, shipping lines, and international buyers to maintain and expand South Africa’s position as a leading fresh produce exporter.

Cold Chain Relevance: South Africa exports over 2.5 million tonnes of fresh produce annually—citrus, table grapes, stone fruit, pome fruit, and subtropical products—all requiring sophisticated cold chain management from packhouse to destination market. FPEF provides guidance on the cold chain protocols that enable produce to arrive in export markets in optimal condition after voyages of 2-6 weeks. This includes pre-cooling requirements (produce must reach target temperature before containerisation), in-transit temperature specifications (different for each commodity), controlled atmosphere settings for specific products, and cold treatment protocols required by certain markets for phytosanitary compliance. For cold chain operators, FPEF membership provides insight into export volumes and seasonality, connections to exporters requiring cold chain services, and access to the technical standards that govern fresh produce logistics. The forum’s work on port cold chain infrastructure, reefer container availability, and shipping schedules directly impacts the capacity and efficiency of the export cold chain.