This document discusses opportunities and challenges for tropical fruit and exotic imports from Colombia to the Dutch and EU markets. It provides statistics on increasing global and Colombian fruit and vegetable production. The top fruits exported from Colombia are bananas, physalis, passion fruit, and baby bananas. Products with high potential in Europe include avocado, lime, melons, watermelon, and pomegranates. Approximately 75% of fruits and vegetables in Europe are sold through supermarkets. The Netherlands is a key gateway to Europe given its large population and major port and airport. Future opportunities exist in value-added products, food safety certification, organic and sustainable offerings, and ethnic markets. Challenges include meeting large retailers' demands and

1. Opportunities & challenges
for Tropical Fruit & Exotics
from Colombia on the
Dutch / EU market

2. Some Basic FFV numbers:
• 1990 – 2010
• Vegetable production worldwide
increased 60 %
• Fruit production worldwide
increased 100 %

3. Some Basic FFV numbers:
• 2005 - 2011
• Fruit & Vegetable production
Colombia increased from 9,2 –
10,2 million tons
• Export value of Colombia Tropical
and exotic Fruit in 2012 reached
48,6 million USD.

4. Some Basic FFV numbers:
• 2011
Main fruits exported:
• Bananas 36 %
• Physalis 24 %
• Passion fruit 8 %
• Baby bananas 5 %
• Granadilla 2 %

5. Example products with high
market potential in Europe:
• Avocado Hass
• Limon Tahiti
• Melons (Piel de Sapo, Yellow
Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, Galia)
• Watermelons (Quetzali, seedless)
• Pomegranates (depending on
window of supply)

6. Consumption FFV / year
Europe
• Vegetables 60 mln tons
• Fruit 54 mln tons

7. Import Volumes 2011
• Vegetables 3.8 mln tons
• Fruit 12.9 mln tons

8. EU Market
• 28 countries
• 500 million consumers
• 28 different cultures
• 28 different eating patterns
• 28 different average income
levels
• 28 different business mentalities

10. The Netherlands
Nederland
Holland
Holanda
Paises Bajos
• 16.5 Million population
• 41.526 Sq Km

12. Gateway to Europe:
• Schiphol Airport
• Rotterdam Sea Port

14. Future Developments for the supply
from emerging countries:
• Economic development new EU members
• Growing importance Retail organizations
• Increasing demand for food safety
• Changing role importers towards chain
management
• Growing demand for convenience, exotics
and niche products
• Increasing demand for Sustainability and
CSR

15. Credit Crisis
Short term threats:
• Loss of confidence consumer
• Less spending
• Credit insurance more difficult
• Banks more careful with overdrafts
• Exceeding of Payment terms

16. Growing importance of
large Retail
Organizations
• Approx 75 % of FFV sold via the
supermarkets
• Concentration in buying power
• Demand for high level of
professionalism of the producers
• Food safety, programs, continuity
• Chain control from seed to shelf

17. Approx 75 % of all fresh fruits &
vegetables are sold via the
supermarkets in Europe

18. Approx 75 % of all fresh
fruits & vegetables are
sold via the
supermarkets in Europe

19. Approx 75 % of all
fresh fruits &
vegetables are
sold via the
supermarkets in
Europe

20. Changing Role of the
importer
• Change to supply chain manager
• Control on programs from
production to supermarket
• Control on the logistic chain

21. Quality:
• Quality is not longer an issue
• Everyone demands first class
• No secondary markets
• High costs for destruction

25. EU enlargement:
• Higher income / lower
consumption
• Shift from basic volume
products to diversity F & V
products
• More availability of other food
products as snacks and junk
food.

26. Logistics:
• New logistic connections to new
EU members
• Development of new import
companies in new EU countries
• More direct shipments, surpassing
the traditional importers

27. Exotics:
• Higher consumer income
• Increased Travel to distant
holiday destinations
• Large Ethnic communities

28. Food Safety:
• Key issue
• Demand for food safety protocols
• General food legislation
• Stricter control on MRL’s (maximum
residue levels)
• Harmonized in the EU per 01-09-
2008
• Supermarkets increasingly stricter
than European laws

29. Certificates:
• Need to follow protocols
• GlobalGap a minimum entrée
ticket to the EU market.
• Growing demand for protocols
as BRC, HACCP and others
• Without certificates only spot
market access.

30. Hygiëne ?

31. Organic:
• Growing market for organic
• Demand larger than supply
• Supermarkets only interested in
programs
• Consumer not really ready to
pay more

32. Sustainability / CSR
• Care for the environment
• Carbon footprint
• Local for local
• Growing consumer awareness on
social circumstances
• Ethical trade
• Fair trade

38. Health:

39. Health:
• Higher standard of living /
more concern for health
issues
• Overweight a major concern
• Governmental and EU
campaigns to promote
consumption of fresh F + V
• Possibilities for the trade to
emphasize health claims

42. Convenience:
• Higher income / more demand for
convenience products
• Prepared, sliced, pre-cooked
• Snack packs
• Prepared in production countries
• Convenience, innovation and
problem solving

47. Innovation / Added
value:
• New concepts
• Ready to eat programs
• Product development
• Kids marketing

56. Ethnic markets:
• Large populations immigrants
• Own food cultures
• Growing consumption of ‘ethnic’
food
• Integrating into the native kitchen
• Specialized ethnic shops
• Long term, assimilation in main
stream supermarkets

57. Opportunities for
developing countries:
• Anticipation on increase of scale in
the supply chain
• Increasing demand for outsourcing
• Marketing towards new EU members
• Value adding / convenience
• Niche products / windows of supply

58. Critical factors:
• Increasing level of professionalism
• Focus on food Safety protocols
• Quality as basis
• Focus on logistics
• Increased scale of production
• Improvement of communication

59. Thank you!