Chinese localized packaging design strategies for African agricultural products: The case of the “Sugar Loaf” pineapple from Benin

Okuola Zadig Gerard Ladekan, Siyuan Lai

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Since 2023, Benin's "Sugarloaf" pineapple has benefited from official access to the Chinese market, confirmed by its remarkable presentation at the China International Import Fair (CIIE) in Shanghai in 2024. This white-fleshed fruit, with an atypical club-like shape and a very sweet taste, is the first Beninese product to be certified by a geographical indication recognized at the African level. While the logistical, phytosanitary and commercial circuits are being structured quickly, no packaging design strategy truly adapted to Chinese aesthetic and cultural codes has yet been developed for this product. This article offers an analysis of the current packaging of Beninese pineapple for export, a reading of the Chinese consumer's aesthetic expectations for premium imported fruits, and then formulates four axes of localized design strategy (color, narrative, visual symbolism and functionality) to strengthen the perceived value and competitiveness of the product on the Chinese market.

Received: 26 Jul 2026, Received in revised form: 22 Aug 2026, Accepted: 27 Aug 2026, Available online: 31 Aug 2026

10.22161/ijaers.138.12