Ecuador's Organic Bananas: A Success Story in the European Union
2024-05-17
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The year 2023 was prosperous for Ecuadorian organic products, particularly bananas. These bananas solidified their presence in the European Union (EU), their primary market, which received more than half of this fruit's production, according to data from the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment, and Fisheries. Nearly 4% of the bananas exported by Ecuador globally are organic, a segment gradually expanding in Europe, Asia, and the United States. In 2023, organic banana exports to the EU amounted to $227.8 million, accounting for 51.3% of total exports of this item (organic banana), as per the Central Bank of Ecuador (BCE) figures. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture reveals that the nationwide organic banana cultivation area expanded by a total of 22,616 hectares, spread across the provinces of Guayas, El Oro, Santa Elena, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Azuay, Esmeraldas, Cotopaxi, Cañar, and Pichincha. Ecuadorian organic bananas lead the list of exported products, followed by cocoa and organic quinoa. Besides the European Union, Ecuadorian organic products also reach other significant markets, such as the United States, Japan, China, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates.
At the Organic Food & Eco Living Iberia 2023 Fair, Ecuador reaffirmed its position as the leading exporter of organic products to the EU. Organic banana production uses natural inputs, eschewing pesticides and chemical fertilisers. The country certifies organic products under the Ecuadorian Organic Standard and the following international standards with the support of QCS International:
NOP regulation for the United States / Organic certification for the European Union (QCS Regulation EC 834/2007) / NOP-COR Equivalence agreement for the Canadian organic market.