Project title: Sustainable Postharvest Treatment for Fresh Green Asparagus
Project number: SMP-25012
Requesting country: Peru
Year: 2025
Budget: € 50,000
Project leader: Jan Verschoor
Knowledge institute: Wageningen University & Research
Project partners: GroentenFruitHuis

Summary

The European importers of fresh green asparagus face, along with the entire supply chain and EU consumers, a significant trade issue. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1134 of the European Commission has established emergency measures to prevent the introduction, establishment, and spread of Spodoptera frugiperda, commonly known as the fall armyworm. Green asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) are included in Annex I as one of the host plants susceptible to infestation by S. frugiperda. This pest is widely established in Peru and Mexico, as well as in most countries of the Americas, Africa, and South Asia.
The European Union’s strategy to prevent the establishment of foreign pests is crucial and enduring. The European green asparagus supply chain, led by the importers, must cooperate with this strategy and develop tools to maintain the long-term international trade in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Peru and Mexico are the leading suppliers of fresh asparagus to the European Union, and the EU accounts for approximately 30% of the exports from Peru and Mexico in terms of volume. The green asparagus sector faces significant risks of being banned in the EU due to concerns about S. frugiperda. Producers in affected regions are exploring sustainable and ecological solutions, but effective tools are lacking. Developing an effective post-harvest solution to manage this pest is of utmost importance to sustaining the industry. The overall objective is to establish a stable European – Peruvian consortium to maintain a proactive approach to quarantine pests in the EU, extending research and post-harvest treatment solutions.