Ecuador banana sector signs food waste reduction alliance

Ecuador’s banana sector has joined a new cooperation agreement aimed at reducing food waste and improving access to nutritious food for vulnerable communities.

The agreement was signed by the Ecuadorian Banana Exporters Association (AEBE), Banco de Alimentos Diakonía and Grupo Entregas. AEBE is taking part as coordinator of Ecuador’s Banana and Plantain Cluster.

Under the agreement, banana donations from producers and companies in the sector will be collected and delivered to communities in need. The aim is to make the process more efficient, traceable and regular, while giving surplus fruit a social use instead of letting it go to waste.

Each organisation will have a defined role. AEBE will coordinate with exporters to manage weekly donations. Grupo Entregas will provide free logistics and transport for up to two tonnes of fruit from farms. Banco de Alimentos Diakonía will receive, sort and distribute the bananas, applying traceability and control standards before the fruit reaches beneficiary families.

The agreement has an initial duration of one year. It brings together the productive, logistics and social sectors with the goal of expanding food access, strengthening cooperation between institutions and generating measurable social impact.

The participating organisations also agreed to exchange statistical data to monitor and report the results of the initiative. This will allow the partners to evaluate the impact of the donations and improve the programme over time.

source and photo: aebe.com.ec