Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture

Agribusiness Agricultural markets Agroindustry Competitiveness Organic farming Trade

Ecuadorian SMEs are tapping into the European market thanks to a virtual business roundtable

Tiempo de lectura: 3 mins.

The IICA-supported initiative is fostering the exportation of processed organic products. During this third staging of the event, 53 business meetings were scheduled between Ecuadorian entrepreneurs and 12 buyers from Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands, while trade deals valuing USD 1.4 million were finalized.

En la nueva edición de la rueda virtual de negocios se establecieron 53 citas entre empresarios ecuatorianos y 12 compradores europeos y se concretaron intenciones comerciales por cerca de USD 1.4 millones.

Quito, 24 February 2021 (IICA). Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ecuador promoted their processed organic products at the III Virtual Business Roundtable, thus opening up market opportunities in Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands. The event sought to contribute to diversifying the export markets of this Andean country and support its economic reactivation.

During the latest staging of the business roundtable, 53 meetings were scheduled between Ecuadorian entrepreneurs and 12 European buyers, while trade deals were finalized valuing close to USD 1.4 million.

The initiative was spearheaded by the Bioexportador Global Program, in collaboration with the National Association of Food and Beverage Manufacturers (ANFAB); the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA); the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (FEDEXPOR); the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries; AGROCALIDAD; the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Inter-American Commission for Organic Agriculture (ICOA).

The event received financial support from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Ecuador.

The participating SMEs were offering a range of processed products, such as dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits; organic gluten-free banana and plantain flour; lupine beverages; Andean cereals; quinoa risottos; healthy snacks; fruit pulp; spices; chocolates; pancake mixes; edible rose products and high-quality organic coffee.

During the business meeting, information and training was offered on issues such as consumption patterns with respect to organic products in the Swiss market and the trade window between Ecuador and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) – Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

The companies were also briefed on labelling requirements in the destination market and the certification needed to market Ecuadorian products, for example the European Organic Certificate and Biosuisse.

Moreover, information was also provided on export routes and access to the Swiss market, through a partner in the logistics sector, the Federation of National Associations of Cargo Agencies and International Logistics Operators of Latin America and the Caribbean (ALACAT), which informed the participants about their services and the challenges of foreign trade amidst a health crisis.

Head of IICA’s International Trade and Regional Integration Program, Daniel Rodríguez, remarked that the business roundtables strive to assist small and medium-sized businesses to consolidate or diversify their export markets, capitalizing on opportunities arising out of European consumers’ concern for their health.

Christian Wahli, Executive Chairman of ANFAB, stressed the importance of diversifying food and beverage exports, through processed products with a high level of differentiation, for example, based on quality, safety and certifications with respect to the companies’ observance of social, environmental and human rights responsibilities.

“It is vital that one begin by identifying consumer needs and preferences, which will then provide guidance to the agrifood chains on how to fulfil these demands. This will require companies to identify a target market and to prepare to access it through different avenues, both technical and cultural”, said Wahli.

Through the 2020-2021 Bioexportador Global Program, 40 products destined for the Swiss market were validated, through sensory testing by experts from that country. The labelling was evaluated and a Marketplace platform was developed for the promotion of the exportable supply.

More information:
Margarita Baquero, Agribusiness and Trade Specialist, IICA Ecuador.
margarita.baquero@iica.int

 

Share

Related news​

San José, Costa Rica

September 10, 2025

Erick Geovany Ac Tot, a cocoa entrepreneur who promotes high-quality cocoa and the preservation of ancestral trees in Guatemala, is named an IICA Leader of Rurality 

Erick Geovany Ac Tot—a prominent Guatemalan cocoa entrepreneur who has been assisting small farmer organizations, promoting high-quality cocoa production and preserving heirloom trees for years, in addition to being a cocoa taster—has been named a Leader of Rurality of the Americas by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA). 

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Durante el llamado Diálogo Regional sobre Innovaciones para la Adaptación Climática de pequeños productores del Corredor Seco Centroamericano, los participantes discutieron temas clave como ganadería resiliente, agroforestería, innovación productiva y medidas de adaptación frente a sequías, inundaciones y otros eventos climáticos.

San Salvador

September 9, 2025

In El Salvador, Leaders of Rurality of the Americas shared experiences and engaged in dialogue with youth and specialists on ways to strengthen productivity in the Central American Dry Corridor

The leaders who participated in the meeting were Macarena Valdés and Marco Aceituno from Chile; Elvia Monzón, Gustavo Rivas and Erick Ac from Guatemala; Katy Moncada and Eodora Méndez from Honduras; and Odette Varela and Salomón Zelada from El Salvador.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins

Santa Fé, Darién, Panamá

September 4, 2025

Coordination between IICA and Panamanian and U.S. government authorities bolsters the fight against New World screwworm in Central America and Mexico

As part of the efforts to curb the spread of the New World screwworm (NWS), a current health threat in Central America and Mexico, the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) of Panama, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG) organized a meeting with livestock farmers in the city of Santa Fé de Darién to strengthen health surveillance and better protect local livestock production.

Tiempo de lectura: 3mins