The CREA project promotes strategies to strengthen and improve the sustainability, competitiveness, innovation and integration in the European market of 33 SMEs and 24 farmer organisations, while ensuring fair employment and decent work with inclusive practices for vulnerable groups. CREA is led by Rikolto, in partnership with Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Alimentos y Bebidas (ANFAB), Cooperación al Desarrollo de Países Emergentes (COSPE), Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL) and KU Leuven. This project is funded by the European Union.
In Europe, there is currently a trend indicating that consumers prefer environmentally and socially sustainable food which guarantees fair prices and inclusive models. This preference represents an opportunity for the Ecuadorian agri-food sector in a potential market of approximately 500 million inhabitants in 27 countries.
The initiative addresses the challenge of linking Ecuadorian supply and European demand for sustainable products, improving competitiveness and sustainability in the agri-food sector and generating opportunities and inclusion of the vulnerable population.
“We seek to foster an inclusive and resilient agri-food sector in the face of increasingly pressing crises. Together with our partners, the support of the EU and public and private entities, we will facilitate access to the European market for sustainable products.”
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The CREA project promotes the export of raw materials and value-added products from 8 food chains: avocado, cocoa, coffee, banana, plantain, soursop, guayusa and quinoa. This selection was made in line with the current trade agreement with the EU and the trends related to the Green Deal. Explore the products.
Innovation, sustainability, research and inclusion are the key components of the CREA project.
We aim to increase the competitiveness of the agri-food export sector by improving sustainability, product quality and the commercial and logistical management of MSMEs and producer organisations. Our focus includes socio-entrepreneurial-management, application of green technologies and sustainable production processes and value addition, among others.
Besides identifying sustainable markets for the prioritised value chains, we also strengthen the digital platform Ecuador Agroalimentario as a place to showcase Ecuadorian products. We work with public and private stakeholders to move towards an enabling environment for exports of producer organisations and MSMEs grouped in Ecuador Agroalimentario. Training, dissemination and technical assistance are provided to also make sure that the trends and requirements of the European Union for the entry of sustainable products are locally known.
The CREA project has fostered valuable research collaborations with universities, addressing critical issues in various supply chains. We support links between academia, farmers and other support organisations to broaden the opportunities for integration into Europe’s growing market for sustainable products.
Here are just some examples of the research that has been fostered as part of the project:
We have placed a strong emphasis on promoting inclusive practices for vulnerable groups. MSMEs and associations account for 95% of the productive units in Ecuador and generate 60% of employment in the agri-food sector. The project improved labour access and economic empowerment in this agri-food sector of women, young people, migrants, people in a situation of human mobility, indigenous people, and Afro-Americans, promoting alternatives in an inclusive manner, in addition to meeting the sustainability standards required by European markets.
Benefiting 24 farmer organisations and 33 SMEs across 14 provinces of Ecuador, the CREA project has made significant strides in its third year, particularly in commercial promotion, professionalisation, research, and gender inclusion.
The CREA Project has promoted Ecuadorian products in the European market, through participation in 12 trade shows, 16 SMEs and 11 producer organisations at prestigious events such as Biofach Germany, Anuga Germany, Fruit Attraction Spain, SIGEP Italy, Nordic Organic Sweden, Sial France, Intrafood Belgium, and ISM Germany.
Aspart of our goal as Rikolto, the CREA project invested strongly in profesionalisation of farmer organisations:
To enhance the visibility and appeal of ecuatorian agri-food products we implemented a comprehensive marketing component towards international markets.
“We encourage the promotion of Ecuadorian products from producer organisations and MSMEs at international trade fairs to generate short, medium and long-term commercial opportunities and foster exports that promote the development of our production chains.”
CREA is led by Rikolto and implemented in association by the Cooperation for the Development of Emerging Countries (COSPE), the National Association of Food and Beverage Manufacturers (ANFAB), the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL). In addition, FAO, CONGOPE, ANECACAO, ASEMEC, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Ecuador CCIE and the French Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce CCIE will contribute to the project with their experience in the agri-food sector in Ecuador and Europe.
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