Introduction

Apples are among the oldest food products known to man. The apple figures prominently in the Biblical story of Adam and Eve. It is also featured in the earliest records of Greek civilization. Long important in Europe and Asia, apples were brought to and flourished in suitable locations in many colonies in temperate climates around the world. They have grown steadily in the twentieth century in total production, consumption and trade. Like many other agricultural commodities, however, apples have undergone a dramatic transformation in the last quarter of the twentieth century. Growers, shippers and traders have had to deal with the macroeconomic changes that have convulsed the international economic system. An industry which was based on natural climatic advantage has been transformed into an industry where investment in new technology has increasingly become the key to competitiveness. Technology has also enlarged the number of acres in row crops that can be shifted into apple production if investment is available.