Ecuador simplifies processes to access European fruit market

Ecuador established a technical committee dedicated to streamlining the auditing and certification processes needed to access the European fruit market. This achievement came during the closing of the Fourth Conference of the World Banana Forum, held in Rome, Italy, on 14 March. During this event, representatives of the Ecuadorian public and private sector made significant presentations on the current situation of the country's banana industry.

 

One of the main demands of the sector was the creation of this committee, as it was determined, together with banana producers from the region (Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Peru), that the current certifications represent a 60 % duplication of the requirements demanded by the various European retailer standards. This generates an unsustainable administrative and economic burden for banana producers, according to a study presented by the region's banana producing countries during the forum.

 

José Antonio Hidalgo, executive director of the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE), who was present in Rome, confirmed that representatives of the issuing bodies of Rainforest, GlobalGap, FairTrade and other certifications will be part of this committee, which seeks to add more actors in the future.