Consumers today are extremely demanding. The increasing demand for diversity, consistent quality and food safety present the fruit industry with new challenges.

The creation of new and better varieties of fruit is essential in order to meet these changing needs. The 'Fruit Designers' of Better3fruit have a very clear mission therefore: to produce new and better fruit!

And by better, we don’t just mean tastier, but above all high-quality fruit. Furthermore, fruit that is subject to a controlled production and distribution process. In short, fruit that meets the demands of consumers and industry.

Thorough research, carried out internally and in collaboration with academic partners, lies at the heart of our breeding program. Critical factors such as fruit quality, disease resistance and production efficiency are thoroughly researched and mapped out.

The first rough blueprint of a new variety is created from the judicious combination of parents that have all the required characteristics. Each year Better3fruit creates around 10.000 new varieties of apples and of pears!

In order to fine-tune the blueprint so that it becomes a final design for a real product, a team of specialists evaluates each of the 10.000 new varieties over a number of production years.

Better3fruit has become a specialist in producing and analysing huge numbers of seedlings.This enables us to make a thorough and stringent selection based on factors like quality, productivity and shelf-life. Today Better3fruit is one of the leading breeders of apples and pears in the world.

Important parameters such as firmness, juiciness, crispness, sweetness, acidity and aroma are measured at harvest time and during storage, and entered into a databank. The analysis of this information and the varieties is market-oriented, taking into account different international markets and market segments.

After our selections have been tested throughout the years against parameters that are relevant to consumers and industry, we construct a cross section of our creations.

During the final phase of the breeding process, we propagate the different varieties that have met the strictest quality norms. These are tested around the world for productivity and general agronomical performance.

Together with international tree nursery specialists, fruit producers and marketeers and based on consumer tests, we choose the final varieties that are the most suitable for launching in the marketplace.

A new and better variety does not necessarily translate into a new and better product for industry and consumers. Better3fruit believes very strongly in a guided market introduction in order to ensure that the fruit really finds its way to the consumer.

This is why we actively protect new varieties and fruits by acquiring plant breeder’s rights, patents and trademarks.

Better3fruit encourages strategic partner- ships in order to achieve an integrated marketing, quality control and supply in line with demand.

Consequently, Better3fruit provides its clients and licensees with so much more than just a variety.The final product of Better3fruit is an innovative variety that is protected against imitation and is well-positioned in the market to generate ongoing added value for all the players in the fruit chain!