Spain: Canary organic bananas to be promoted in French market
Europlátano started exporting to Biocoop late last year and, after several weeks of testing, the project has become consolidated in the first week of 2018 due to the good reception the product has had, and the volume loaded has been doubled.
"Biocoop is a distribution company with a very clear philosophy: to promote organic farming and do it in a fair way, so that the producer and every other link of the chain in the handling, transport, marketing, etc. receives a good remuneration for their work," says a representative from Europlátano. "This creates a connection between the producer and the distributor that goes much further than a simple commercial transaction. The goal is to build a common project that is sustainable over time, environmentally-friendly, fair and long-lasting," they add.
The company has been promoting this concept for more than 30 years, achieving sales and store growth in recent years. At present, Biocoop has a network of 431 stores distributed across France that has not stopped growing in recent years, and which will have Canary bananas with the Europlatano label on their shelves from now on.
"The origin of the product has been an important factor for Biocoop when making its commercial commitment, but not the only one. The correct certification process, the control of the treatments carried out in the field, the traditional methods employed, the care in the handling of the product or the commitment to promoting the local economy have also been important. Besides, there is the key factor that is the proximity of the place of production to the point of consumption, which minimises the CO2 footprint, with the added advantage that the place of production is a natural space as unique as the Canary Islands. This is a factor that will become increasingly important in the future, the fact that the Canary Islands is the banana producer which is closer to continental Europe with an uninterrupted supply during every week of the year. Furthermore, it is a product with a unique flavour cultivated in an environment that is also unique," says the representative of Europlátano.
The on-going expansion in the European market has made it possible for Europlátano's sales volume last year to reach 58,000 tonnes; a figure that is expected to be exceeded in 2018 thanks to new partnerships with new customers, such as Biocoop.
"The efforts made by the entire organization to promote the quality of the product in today's difficult market conditions is allowing us to gain a better position in the eyes of a consumer who is increasingly demanding and concerned about food choices," they point out.