The company Arsaico, located in the canton of Chambo, in the province of Chimborazo, has been certified to use the Peasant Family Agriculture (AFC) seal by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).
The company deals with organic production of tomatoes in the form of kidney, uvilla, vegetables, greens and honey.
On Anaconda Island, in Napo, women produce organic bananas that are exported to the United States
The certification of the use of the AFC seal is carried out through the Undersecretariat for Peasant Family Agriculture, as a distinguishing feature of the social origin of the product produced with good agricultural practice (BPA).
The government portfolio explained that the purpose is to be recognized as farmers who carry out this production activity in rural areas and for consumers to identify them in markets to promote fair trade and responsible consumption.
According to the data of the Agency for Phytosanitary and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control (Agrocalidad), by 2022, around 57,000 hectares of various crops have been certified in Ecuador, belonging to 9,051 producers who supply the local market, but also send products to other countries of the world.
The provinces with the largest number of registered farmers are Napo, El Oro, Chimborazo, Esmeraldas and Morona Santiago. Of this, 98% belongs to family and peasant agriculture.
In addition, until last year there were 1,518 products registered as organic. Of this number, about 257 correspond to banana, cocoa, coffee, fruit and vegetable crops. The rest, i.e. 1,261 products, are from the segment of processed products such as chocolates, snacks, sugar, panela, among others.
Meanwhile, Álex Sancho, manager of Arsaico and an organic producer for 25 years, explained that he received the AFC seal after completing the process of technical assistance and verification of his production system.
Sancho considered that now his products have a plus, compared to the national and international certificates that the company already has.
Ecuador registers more than 9,000 organic producers, according to Agrocalidad
“It is an impulse for people to know where the food comes from and the effort that the farmer puts in so that the consumer can eat better,” said the producer.
Source: Eluniverso
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