"Demand for Swedish tomatoes continues to increase. 6 out of 10 consumers want to buy Swedish tomatoes during the season - despite this, almost two of ten tomatoes are sold that are Swedish. There is a gap between supply and demand, and a great potential for increased sales," says Maria Forshufvud, CEO, Svenskmärkning AB, which administers the origin mark from Sweden.
A new survey shows that the three strongest arguments for choosing Swedish tomatoes are the good taste, that the cultivation is climate-friendly and environmentally friendly and that they want to support Swedish tomato growers.
"The survey shows that there is great confidence in the Swedish tomatoes and Swedish farming methods," says Maria Forshufvud.
Sweden is a leader in the development of sustainable tomato cultivation. More than 90 percent of the Swedish tomato crops are heated by renewable energy - chips, pellets, geothermal heat - alternatively waste heat from other industries. The tomato growers use biological methods in their cultivation and the lobes stand for pollination. The heating system directly determines how sustainable a greenhouse tomato is.
The Swedish tomatoes naturally mature longer before they reach the vegetable department in the shop.
The trend in Swedish tomato cultivation is now moving towards increased diversification with a huge variety and flavor variation.