Ecuador’s most exotic fruits such as the Hass avocado, the miniature banana or the passion fruit aspire to find a place in the Spanish fruit and vegetable market, as part of an initiative that helps small farmers has increase their sales through alliances with the most important agricultural companies in the country.
With the financial assistance of the European Union and the execution efforts of the International Trade Center (AITC), the Next Ecuador project was born, the first in the country to promote exports of these fruits that selectively reach supermarkets and Spanish cuisines, but with. the aim of being more and more frequent and demanded by the palates of European consumers.
The project promotes six exotic fruits (yellow pitahaya, Hass avocado, Ecuadorian banana, orito or baby banana, Castilla blackberry and passion fruit, fresh and processed). These foods are distinguished by their very high nutritional contributions or by their characteristic and differential production.
For example, the Hass avocado is grown in the heights of the Ecuadorian Andes, unlike other variations of this product like the Peruvian avocado, which is grown in the lowest area of these mountains.
The goal of the project is to publicize the agricultural potential of Ecuador, the high quality of its products and its production according to strict criteria of sustainability and fair trade.
“This is the first project we have in Ecuador, it aims to reactivate the rural sector, to small producers who have been hit hard after Covid-19. We work in almost 50% of Ecuador, that is to say in 13 provinces, we work with 6 product chains and 20 collective groups, that is to say with almost 1,000 direct producers and 5,000 indirectly,” said explained Paola Ramón, director of the project, in an interview with Europa Press.
Gastronomic starter
One of the ways to access the European market for these products is through gastronomy. With the collaboration of Ecuadorian and Spanish chefs, they are working on different ways to integrate these foods into Mediterranean cuisine, so that They are integrated into the usual diet of these consumers, and do not constitute a niche product.
“The Spanish are very friendly and like to try new things. They love to eat. So we think these fruits can combine well with their traditional dishes, with tapas, and fit into their cuisines and those around the world,” explains Ramón. .
These products, As they are exotic, they have a higher cost, due to logistical problems.. Although they will not be a mass product, they appear as foods with many nutritional benefits and particular value when preparing different dishes, which is why their producers want them to become essential in gastronomic culture .
Commitment to European standards
Thanks to financial support from the European Union, exotic fruits from Ecuador have the opportunity to reach the fruit and vegetable aisle of supermarkets in the community bloc without major problems. Thus, the project enabled a significant increase in exports.
In addition, Despite the “demanding” regulations of Brussels, Ecuadorian products are assured of the highest quality, with rapid compliance with these environmental and social requirements. “It is not a question of changing demands, but of satisfying them, for which we have the support of the European institutions themselves,” says the project manager.
In the same way, This project helps farmers have better livelihoodsworking to increase their productivity. Technological innovation is one of the axes of European financing, with the aim of reducing logistics costs, while achieving a fair price that has an impact on the well-being of the farmer.
