With the participation of more than seventy representatives of the national export fruit industry, including the cherry sector, and a sustainable pavilion, Chile and its fruit are present at a new in-person version of Fruit Logística, the leading fair for the trade of fresh fruit in Europe. This participation was organized by ProChile and the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile AG (ASOEX).
The event, which will take place between Tuesday 5 and Thursday 7 April, will feature representatives from more than 80 countries who will meet again in Berlin, a city that will host producers, exporters, importers, retailers, service and product providers to learn about and analyse the latest trends in the global fruit market, establish future business and consolidate commercial relations.
Chile is present with a 154-square-meter pavilion, focusing its message on the great flavor, quality and serious work in sustainability of the national fruit sector. All this, accompanied by the construction of a sustainable pavilion, both in terms of materials (many of them recycled), as well as the most efficient use of energy.
“We are very pleased to be able to participate in Fruit Logistica, after the COVID pandemic and its restrictions made it impossible to hold the event in person. This reunion was eagerly awaited by all the actors in the fruit sector in Chile and around the world, as it is a platform that allows us to showcase new developments, as well as the emphasis on the industry’s work. In this edition, we will continue to strengthen our sustainability policy, through the sustainability circle that will be present in various parts of our pavilion. In addition, we have taken care to build a sustainable pavilion that shows our sincere concern in these matters.”, said Ignacio Caballero, Marketing Director of ASOEX.
The professional highlighted that it was a special concern for Chile to present an environmentally friendly national pavilion at Fruit Logística. He commented that to achieve this, the use of carpets in the pavilion was avoided, achieving a saving of 99.5 kilograms of plastic fibers and waste. Also, by using modular aluminum platforms for the construction, the use of 6.8 tons of wood was avoided. In addition, he highlighted that all the graphics are made from materials free of diluents and that they can be reused.
Regarding the safety of participants, Caballero added that, to safeguard health, especially during business meetings that will take place in the pavilion, rapid Covid-19 tests will be available, in addition to applying all the prevention measures required by the local authority and organizers.
The inauguration of the Chilean national pavilion at Fruit Logistica took place at noon on Tuesday, April 5, with the presence of Francisco Ulloa, Secretary of the Chilean Embassy in Germany, along with the countries of the Pacific Alliance. In addition to the Commercial Representative of ProChile in Hamburg, Daniel Medina, ASOEX was represented by Ignacio Caballero, Carlos Cruzat, President of the Kiwi Committee, and Charif Christian Carvajal, Marketing Director of ASOEX for the Asian and European markets.
“It is very important to be able to return to this significant fair for Chilean fresh fruit in person, and the reception we have had at the pavilion confirms this. In 2021, Chile exported US$$ 4,966 million worth of fresh fruit, 11.5% more than in 2020, demonstrating that it is a sector that, despite the pandemic and the problems that have arisen from it, continues to grow steadily. Today, in addition, in this space, we are showing the sustainability of the industry and the concern that this issue means for companies and for Chile. We hope that it will be a very good opportunity and that Chile will continue to be recognized for its attributes that have made it so recognized worldwide.”, highlights Daniel Medina, Commercial Representative of ProChile in Hamburg, Germany.
The Chilean committees participating in the fair, including cherries, kiwi, blueberries and citrus, among others, will highlight at Fruit Logística the efforts and work carried out by the sector to deliver fresh fruit with increasing quality, safety and sustainability to the different markets and consumers of the world.
Europe is the third destination market for Chilean fruit, after the USA and Asia. During the 2020-2021 fruit export season, Chile sent more than 2.5 million tons of fresh fruit to the world. Of this amount, 511,846 tons were destined for a European market.
