Last week was crucial for Program, a small family business dedicated to rescuing Andean grains with which it produces foods with high nutritional value such as amaranth drinks, which has just included its new mango and lemon flavors; seeds, pops, flours and false risotto de mote con morocho, under its Amati brand.
Carla Novaits marketing manager, traveled to Spain to negotiate a new shipment for that market, from where it will also be distributed to France and Italy.
It is that these products, also called superfoodsamong which are canned vegetables, instant quinoa-based soups, teas from different ancestral plants, Andean potato sandwiches, cocoa nibs, and others, have experienced a rise in sales in different markets such as the United States and Europe, where they are in high demand.
According to data from Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheriesthe growth expectations of this segment have ‘soared’ in the last two years due to COVID-19, although he clarified that for consumers, companies and the promotion strategies of the countries it is not a new concept, because it is born as a result of the growing trend of sustainable and healthy consumption.
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The portfolio assured that the superfoods represent approximately $9,240,600which correspond to the 0.1% of the total of Ecuadorian non-oil exports, however, the entity recognized that this value only describes products such as quinoa, guayusa, lupins, moringa, sacha inchi, both raw materials and processed.
The private sector shows more complete statistics. Felipe Ribadeneira, president of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), revealed that between January and November 2021, exports of selected non-traditional products reached $771 millionequivalent to an increase of 6.5% compared to the same period of 2020 when they generated $727 million.
He added that currently more than 450 companies they export non-traditional food products related to a high nutritional value for the consumer.
“The main markets for these products are between the United States and the European Union, however, a good part of the non-traditional supply also goes to countries in the region, such as Chile, Peru and Colombia,” Ribadeneira said.
He analyzed that both the United States and the European Union register significant growth in the preferences of consumers who seek food alternatives with a high level of quality, safety and, above all, nutritional content, which due to their characteristics have a distinctive that is highly valued in niche markets. market with high willingness to pay.
Novoa also confirmed the preferences in the region. He pointed out that Chile, where they began to export five years ago and was their first international destination, has grown steadily.
“Market preferences are due to the fact that they are highly innovative products that are within the new paradigms and new food trends that seek to be healthier, that have some superfoodsthat they also come from fair trade and that they are sustainable and sustainable, “said Novoa.
In the case of the cocoa sector, Francisco Miranda, president of the National Association of Cocoa and Industrialized Exporters of Ecuador (Anecacao)indicated that some 60 companies in the sector are dedicated to the export of this type of product (cocoa powder, nibs and chocolate).
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He revealed that in 2021, of all the products destined for this segment, cocoa nibs are the ones that grew the most when selling 615 tons (more than 430 tons more than in 2020), which translated into $2.3 million. “The national industry invests less than 1% of its total income in the purchase and improvement of assets to improve the processing of cocoa and other derivative products,” Miranda mentioned.
For its part, Martin Acosta, general manager of Kiwaa brand that reaches 35 countries in Latin America, Asia, Europe and North America, with snacks made from raw materials such as white carrots and native Andean potatoes, he believes that people seek snacks increasingly healthy and natural, without additives or ingredients that are difficult to pronounce and understand.
“In our case, apart from doing snacks 100% natural, we combine innovation and quality backed by various certifications, with social and ecological responsibility,” explained Acosta, who added that the brand has also created unique value chains, which allows them to have several differentiated products, such as sweet yellow chifle (normally it is brown), native Andean potatoes that are naturally colored, both purple and orange sweet potatoes, white carrots, etc.
The brand seeks to incorporate new products this year, such as sweet potato flour and tortilla chips made from cassava flour, and solidify its presence in international destinations such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Japan and the United States, where it also plans to open a new market. , that of the northeast area.
In that area there is a very important Hispanic community that is looking for products that are reminiscent of their country of origin, according to Cynthia Mayer, General Manager of Family Food Distributorsan Ecuadorian company founded in 2002 that distributes Ecuadorian, Costa Rican, Salvadoran and Guatemalan products in the territories of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Chicago and Massachusetts.
Mayer confirmed the rise in sales of the superfoods. He recalled that at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 there were peaks in consumption, since confinement considerably increased the demand for food and beverages. In 2021, the demand grew even more, the consumer did not decrease their purchases.
“In many cases, we see that the number of products that you previously bought in your basket has increased and for that reason the level of purchases continues to rise. In our case, Family Food Distributors Inc. opened three new distribution centers in the Chicago, Massachusetts, and New Jersey area in 2021,” explained Mayer, who stressed that the company’s response to high demand was to expand coverage in the territories where the consumer values Latin American products, a “nostalgia” market that covers almost all categories of food and beverages.
He specified that in the case of products with added value, there are green empanadas, onions, fanesca, chili sauces, lupins in brine, among others.
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“Some of these products, such as chochos (lupini beans), They are considered superfoodsand the Anglo-Saxon consumer appreciates the product as much as a Hispanic consumer,” said the businesswoman, who assured that Family Food Distributors works with 50 Ecuadorian companies, with which they have allied themselves to produce and export a wide variety of products to the United States.
The importance of this market lies in the fact that, according to official figures, it is the main demander of Ecuadorian superfoods with the 28% of participation, followed by Israel with 19%, India with 16%, Canada with 11%, France, the Netherlands and Germany with 4%, among other destinations.
Expectations are high this year for superfoods. The Ministry of Production expects that by the end of 2022 a growth of approximately 5% can be achieved. Meanwhile, from Fedexpor, Ribadeneira pointed out that this year Ecuador has the possibility of consolidating a food offer with innovation in presentation, quality and positioning in new markets, such as Japan, Canada, the Middle East, northern Europe, and other important ones for this type of products. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
