Julia Parry is VP of Business Development and Downstream at Harmoniz. In this enlightening Q&A session, Julia talks about Harmoniz Select – a special selection of collaborative projects that showcase how food tastes better together. Harmoniz Select varieties, which includes highly coveted ToBRFV-resistant tomatoes, will be presented at Fruit Logistica 2025 (Hall.1.2, Booth C-50) for the world to see.

What is Harmoniz Select?

“Basically, Harmoniz Select is an ambition to offer our best and most delicious varieties to consumers at their full potential. We invest heavily in R&D, as we strive to improve flavour and end-consumer quality alongside plant performance, because flavour and quality are key to establishing healthy eating habits that increase fresh consumption. Food must be delicious! However, breeding a great variety is only half the story: it is also essential to have great growers and partners along the supply chain. Outstanding flavour and quality come from the perfect combination of variety, growing methods and consumer freshness. At Harmoniz Select, we endeavour to achieve this perfect combination selecting the right varieties and partners along the supply chain.

How would you describe Harmoniz Select’s added value for consumers and growers?

“Our added value is our overarching focus on improved flavour and quality. We want consumers to enjoy our delicious varieties every day of the year at their full potential. Food should be a pleasure, both for the eyes and the tastebuds. 

We partner with selected growers who share our passion for tasty food, offering them our standout varieties. We trust them to bring our varieties to consumers at their full potential and in return, they trust us to always give them the best varieties we have to offer. These partnerships are built on open collaboration and shared goals, which always have the consumer’s best interests at heart.”

Why did Harmoniz, as a seed company, decide to create the Harmoniz Select initiative?

“Harmoniz is a unique company with a strong sense of identity and vision. We know we are selling food – every seed we sell will eventually become fruit that someone will eat. We want to be proud of the eating experience we provide our consumers, and therefore we focus on fruit flavour, eating texture, quality and long-lasting freshness. Harmoniz Select is a natural evolution of this ambition, aiming to bring together the expertise of the entire food chain to deliver a better and more consistent consumer offer.“

From your perspective, what makes Harmoniz Select unique? How is it different from other similar initiatives?

“Harmoniz has invested significantly in bringing expertise from the world of fresh produce into its core operations; this unique approach was the conduit for Harmoniz Select. What we are trying to achieve is extremely difficult and requires a deep understanding of both food chain and consumer. Guided by a consumer-led vision, we bring together teams from different disciplines, create open and collaborative partnerships and endeavor to enforce consistency on a natural product characterized by many variables. This is hard work that requires specialist knowledge.”

What is the Harmoniz Select criteria for selecting its varieties, and choosing the right growers as partners?

“We look for unique consumer propositions, or, in other words, memorable varieties that delight the consumer in terms of flavour and appearance. Once we’ve defined our consumer offer, we work to find the partners that best fit our year-round proposition. We value partners who enjoy long-term collaborative work and look forward to winning together. The variety, growing conditions and route to consumer have equal importance in delivering a great consumer offer.“

Can you share a Harmoniz select story that you are particular proud of?

“We have a revolutionary snack product launching very soon, which embodies everything that is great about Harmoniz Select. The concept was born through close partnership and a deep understanding of consumer needs. After embracing the idea, our teams worked tirelessly to breed, trial, select and hone the perfect variety to meet this consumer requirement, while also solving production challenges. I am really proud of the passion I’ve seen from all the people involved in this project, which will deliver a new snack product that consumers love to eat, and growers love to grow.”

What does the future for Harmoniz Select look like?

“A greater diversity of products. More beautiful and delicious fruits that delight and inspire consumers, helping them establish healthier eating habits and bringing joy to their plates.”

About Harmoniz

Harmoniz is an exceptional seed company dedicated to developing delicious vegetables that consumers choose first, and choose again. Relying on a culture of agility, creativity, quality and excellence, Harmoniz fosters a partnership-based approach along the value chain to deliver profitable growth for all. By working together with growers, retailers and consumers, the company is able to yield impactful and sustainable value, day in and day out.