All Fresh Produce Is Grown Locally
Shoppers want local fresh produce. They also want citrus year-round.
In my travels, conversations with strangers often turn to what I do for a living. When I say I market fresh produce, the first response is usually some version of “Oh, you mean local. I buy all my produce locally.”
So I ask where they live. No matter the answer, it’s someplace where a popular fresh produce item doesn’t grow. Nearly every banana sold in the U.S. is imported. Domestic citrus is harvested in the winter months, and imported citrus from Chile, Peru, and South Africa fills the summer. That’s the reality of where and when fresh produce is grown.
Shoppers expect a full fresh produce department 52 weeks a year, and filling it takes the whole globe. Imported fresh produce makes our year-round desire for our favorite fruits and veggies possible.
Shoppers Say Local, and They Buy Both
Shoppers around the world say they want locally grown fresh produce. IFPA’s consumer tracker covers seven markets: Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. It found that buying locally grown fresh produce is the most influential global trend driving consumer purchases. Between 63 and 80 percent of consumers are willing to pay a premium for local. South Korea leads at around 80 percent, and the UK sits at the low end at around 63 percent. The sentiment is strongest among Gen Z, though the definition of local varies by region.
Here in the U.S., shopping carts tell a more complicated story. U.S. consumers are more interested in locally grown products, yet fresh produce imports into the U.S. have continued to increase each year. Shoppers are buying both.
When shoppers say they prefer local, they are asking for more than proximity. Local feels familiar. It suggests a connection to the community and to the people who grew the food, and that connection builds confidence in what they bring home. That helps explain how a preference for local can sit alongside a cart full of imports. When shoppers know where something comes from and who grew it, the source feels closer, wherever it is.
After 30 years in the fresh produce industry, I look at it from the grower’s side. A Rio Grande Valley grapefruit is local to the families who grow it in South Texas. A Chilean mandarin is local to the growers and harvest crews in Ovalle. The farm, the people, and the community around it are as real on one side of the equator as the other.
Domestic and Imported Fresh Produce Share the Shelf
The U.S. fresh produce department runs on domestic and imported supply working together. Imports fill calendar gaps, keep shopper favorites on the shelf longer, and supply varieties that domestic seasons cannot in certain windows.
Domestic growers have earned the local advantage, and they should keep telling that story with pride. Import brands have a different opportunity. They can tell the story of where their fruit comes from with the same pride and detail.
Wine figured this out a long time ago. Shoppers seek out a Sancerre from France or a Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley because of where it was grown. The origin is the selling point, and the label says so. Brands that stop at “Product of Chile” or “Grown in Texas” leave the most interesting part of their story on the packing line.
An Import with an Origin Story Worth Telling
Some of the strongest origin stories in fresh produce come from fruit that travels the farthest to get there.
Darling Dekos® from LGS is a good example of origin working as a reason to buy. Darling Dekos are Chilean-grown Dekopon mandarins. U.S. shoppers are familiar with and fans of the variety, known for its sweet flavor and signature top-knot shape.
The domestic Dekopon season wraps up in April. Darling Dekos arrive in August and are available through October, offering a second season for a citrus variety that shoppers already look for. For Darling Dekos, the place is the proof. Chile is the reason shoppers can find great Dekopons in the fall, and that story belongs front and center.
Telling Your Origin Story, Wherever You Grow
The same messaging principles apply to domestic and imported fruit.
Name the place. “Grown in Ovalle, Chile” or “Grown in the Salinas Valley, CA” gives shoppers and buyers something to connect with. A country or state name alone rarely does.
Explain why the place matters. Climate, soil, elevation, and timing all shape flavor and availability. Tell buyers and shoppers what your region contributes to the taste and quality of the fruit.
Show the people. Growers, harvest crews, and packing teams make fresh produce personal. That connection is what shoppers are most often reaching for when they say they want local.
Connect it to the calendar. For imports, explain why the fruit comes from this place in this season. For domestic brands, tie the story to the state or county connection U.S. shoppers care about.
Keep claims specific and supportable. Vague freshness or quality language does little work. Details about harvest practices, growing conditions, and timing build more trust.
A consistent origin story takes planning, shared language, and a team that tells it the same way each time. One strong line of packaging copy is not enough. An origin story builds trust when it shows up on the box, the sell sheet, and the website, and in the conversations your sales team has with buyers.
The messaging guides we work with brands to create typically include an origin story section for this reason. It gives sales and marketing teams shared language to describe where the fruit comes from and why that matters to buyers and shoppers.
Whether your fruit grows down the road or across the equator, it comes from someone’s hometown. If you are ready to tell that story with more confidence, we would love to help.
