First AEBE banana forum awards for industry leaders
Ecuador's Minister of Agriculture Bernardo Manzano during the first award ceremony of the XIX AEBE forum 2022 in Guayaquil on October 25th
EU ambasador to Ecuador Charles-Michel Geurts during the AEBE forum opening ceremony which celebrated 5 years of excellent cooperation since the bilateral agreement between Ecuador and the EU
Delegates during the AEBE award ceremony
AEBE general secretary Jose Antonio Hidalgo (left) with AEBE chairman Marianela Ubilla (middle) and AEBE delegate members during the forum
More than 80 exhibitors participated at the forum.
Reybanpac delegation and Wong family during AEBE awards ceremony.
Ecuador has been consolidating its position as the world’s leading banana exporter. According to the Banana Statistical Observatory (OEB), in August 2022, accumulated exports reached 234.42 million boxes of bananas, which represented a drop of -8.05%, compared to the same month of the previous year.
The major international banana event
The Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE) held the XIX International Banana Convention, the most important national and international meeting of the banana sector, in Guayaquil from 25 to 28 October. More than 80 companies from the industry participated in this event with the aim of strengthening and expanding commercial relations between all the actors in the value chain: exporters, producers, entrepreneurs, businesses, investors and suppliers.
Reactivation of innovation and transformation
The convention featured several networking spaces that allowed the reactivation and generation of new opportunities for progress and transformation in the banana sector:
● Business roundtables: meetings between different actors in the value chain to generate opportunities for reactivation and economic revitalisation.
● Master talks: conferences given by national and international experts, addressing fundamental issues for the musaceae sector, such as: shared responsibility, the “From Farm to Fork (EU)” initiative, evolution of labour sustainability, competitiveness, research advances, transformation and security in the value chain.
● Commercial exhibitions: over 70 stands and the participation of 80 leading companies in the industry and its global value chain, all open to the general public.
● Banana Awards: a space to recognise the performance and efforts of banana exporting companies.
Great challenges and progress since the pandemic
“The Ecuadorian banana sector has suffered several challenges due to the different worldwide crises. As the Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador, we are committed to generating new opportunities that promote the reactivation and transformation of the musaceae industry. The nineteenth edition of the convention is a clear example of the work we have been doing, with the firm purpose of strengthening commercial relations between the different actors in the value chain,” said José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director of AEBE.
About the AEBE
The Association of Banana Exporters of Ecuador (AEBE) promotes the competitiveness of the banana industry at a national and international level. Since its found in 1999, it has worked with the public sector and its partners to boost banana exports. The AEBE represents more than 70% of the country’s fruit exports.
