The World Avocado Organization (WAO), together with Asociafruit, AECAM and in collaboration with IFEMA, will hold the Avocado Congress in Madrid on 5 October, with chef and food communicator Dani del Toro as master of ceremonies. The event will bring together experts and representatives from different links in the value chain to analyse the present and future of a category undergoing significant transformation.
Under the theme “Facing the Next Wave of Avocado Demand”, the Congress will take place ahead of Fruit Attraction, where the World Avocado Organization will once again be present, coinciding with the celebration of its 10th anniversary.
At a time marked by growing demand, the diversification of producing countries and changing consumption habits, the Congress will address some of the major issues shaping the future of the avocado category, from developments in supply and the supply chain to the changing expectations of European consumers, sustainability, climate variability and the development of new markets.
The event also comes after a particularly positive year for the category. In 2025, the European avocado market grew by an average of 16% in volume, while average consumption in the EU27+ reached 1.8 kg per capita, recording the largest annual increase of the past decade. During the summer of 2025 alone, 6.2 million new European consumers began buying avocados.
A look across the entire avocado value chain
The Congress will open with Eric Imbert, CIRAD researcher and expert on international fruit markets, who will focus on the supply chain and the evolution of global supply, analysing how the main origins are changing and the role that new producing countries will play in the coming years.
Consumers will also take centre stage. Shelly Vorster, Chief Executive Officer of the WAO, will analyse the evolution of European consumers, their current purchasing habits and the socioeconomic factors influencing the development of the category.
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The Congress will also address issues affecting the evolution of international supply, including climate variability, the structural growth of global production and changes in international trade, as well as the tools available to different origins to prepare for these scenarios.
From origin to consumer
The programme will continue with a round-table discussion addressing issues such as current consumer expectations versus the realities of the industry, the trends that will shape the coming years, and the role of quality, consistency of supply and sustainability in the evolution of the category.
A second round table will focus specifically on producing countries and emerging markets, analysing growth forecasts for different origins, supply calendars and their complementarity, as well as key factors for the European market such as quality, fruit maturity, retail standards and adaptation to climate variability.
