On 19th June, after a visit from a Dutch delegation to assess the progress of a programme for the "Implementation of organizational practices and sustainability of banana production", as well as the welfare of families in Urabá, Magdalena and Chocó, the Sustainable Trade Platform between Colombia and the Netherlands was signed in Bogotá, seeking to unite efforts and investments to strengthen production, trade and sustainable consumption of bananas, Colombian's main agricultural export.
The ceremonial signing was attended by the Colombian Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Juan Camilo Restrepo Salazar; the General Manager of the Coffee Producers Federation, Luis Genaro Muñoz Ortega; the President of the Colombian Association of Flower Exporters (Asocolflores), Augusto Solano; and the President of Augura, Roberto Hoyos Ruiz. Representing Banacol were the doctors Gabriel Harry Hinostroza, Member of the Banacol Board of Directors, and Juan Felipe Laverde Restrepo, Manager of Corbanacol.
The Sustainable Trade Platform was created to turn sustainability into a competitive advantage, by trading with sustainable flowers, coffee and bananas in the European market through a programme promoting commitments and investments between donor countries, the public sector, civil society and the private sector, both in Europe and Colombia.
This signing confirms The Netherlands' trust in the work being carried out by banana producers, and as Roberto Hoyos Ruiz affirmed, "it combines the experience acquired by the guild through Foundations with international cooperation in the execution of projects with high economic and social impact, guaranteeing sustainability in the competitive European market." He added that "as a whole, we are considering alternatives to establish a commercial plan aimed at the worldwide market and civil society organizations, so that they can invest in those provider chains which prove to be sustainable socially, environmentally and economically."
Source: Banacol