Starting January 1, 2026, the European Union will implement the "European Green Deal," a series of technical initiatives and standards aimed at counteracting the effects of climate change until 2050. This initiative presents a significant opportunity for our agricultural producers to cultivate tropical fruits that are highly valued in Europe and the United States.

The European Union designed the "European Green Deal" to organise, plan, and finance the production of these tropical fruit crops, which are widely consumed by 500 million Europeans and 130 million people in North America.

Twenty-two per cent of Panama's national territory—approximately 1,640,000 hectares—belongs to indigenous comarcas, which have laws allowing them to lease land to national and foreign companies for the development of tropical fruit crops. This approach helps maintain vegetation cover and supports 12% of the indigenous population, amounting to around 465,000 inhabitants.

In 2012, the banana company Fyffes conducted a study to explore the production of bananas for export to Europe and the United States from land in the Guna de Madugandí Comarca, located within the Chepo district. The results of this detailed study were favourable for the region, leading to an agreement to lease up to 5,000 hectares for 15 years, with the option to renew them for another 15 years, as permitted by law.

This banana project is expected to create 5,000 primary jobs (one per hectare) and three well-paying secondary jobs per hectare in the Alto Bayano and Darien regions.

Panama offers the best export incentives for agricultural products in Central America, thanks to Law 105 of November 23, 2013. This law established a program to promote and modernise agriculture and industry, replacing the previous CEFA program. It aligns well with the European Green Deal, which will provide funding for the cultivation of these crops and the export of their products.