Currently, Ecuador devotes about 45 thousand hectares of land to produce organic food. There are 518 operators engaged in this activity who are registered by the Plant and Animal Health Control Agency -AGROCALIDAD.
The country has 564 products that are certified as organic, both for internal consumption and for export. 190 of these products are for the fresh market and 374 of them are processed. Ecuador exports: bananas, quinoa, cocoa beans, panela, palm oil, coffee, broccoli, mango, chocolates, chifles, sauces, banana puree, quinoa derivatives, and dehydrated fruits.
Some of the organic products devoted to the internal market are: kidney tomato, lettuce, carrots, cilantro, radishes, quinoa, aromatic herbs, panela, chocolates, coffee, dehydrated fruits, oils, beans, honey, tilapia, shrimp, yogurt, and milk.
These foods of agricultural origin are considered organic if they comply with specific standards that have a valid certification, are identified in the market with a label that bears the word "organic", "ecological" or "biological", and -in the case of Ecuador- include an Organic Farming Producer -POA- code granted by Agrocalidad at the time of registration.
The benefits of consuming organic foods include: they are healthy products; they don't affect the environment or the producer's health; they are not contaminated with pesticide residues; they help prevent global warming, as they reduce soil erosion and increase its fertility; producers use vegetable inputs to control pests and diseases, so they don't contaminate the soil, water and air; they have richer and more intense aromas, flavors, and a brighter coloration than traditional products; they also have more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than their conventional counterparts; the production of organic food sustains the economy and encourages the development of small rural and urban producers.