Healthy eating is a dominant trend in the world, as more and more consumers are focusing on adopting healthy eating patterns, by incorporating in their diet food that strengthens the human body. 

Such type of food are the nuts and dried fruits which are rich in vitamins and energy and are usually consumed by those who pay attention to their health and watch their shape.
 
The 2015/16 world nut production was estimated at 3.8 million tons with the European Union being the largest market for edible nuts, representing over 40% of world imports. The 2016/17 global nut production is expected to increase to 4.02 million tons rising by 5.77% over the previous year. In particular, the global production of peanuts is projected to rise by 34% (more than 700,000 tons), with the US being the largest producer of pistachios. Countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom as well as the Central Europe offer significant growth opportunities for the countries-producers of nuts and dried fruits, as demand for such products is growing. The United Kingdom in fact is the largest European importer of edible nuts, while Germany is the largest European importer of dried fruits. In Central Europe, there is an increasing demand for almonds, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and prunes.

It should also be highlighted that more and more companies worldwide are turning to the production and marketing of nuts and dried fruits, since those products have a longer shelf life compared to fresh fruits and vegetables, and can be used both as a snack and as a cooking ingredient.
 
 
Source: www.cbi.eu, www.nutfruit.org