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In 2024, a new commercial alliance was formed between the Association of Small Organic Agricultural Exporters of the Southern Ecuadorian Amazon (APEOSAE) and Oxfam Fair Trade, one of Europe's first and most established fair-trade cooperatives. This collaboration enables the export of organic plantain and cassava snacks from Ecuador to European markets.
The connection was facilitated by the CREA project – Camino a la Reactivación del Ecuador Agroalimentario – co-funded by the European Union and led by Rikolto in a consortium with COSPE, ANFAB, ESPOL and KU Leuven. One of CREA’s objectives is to facilitate the introduction of sustainable food products from smallholder organisations and SMEs in Ecuador to European markets.
APEOSAE is a farmer-led organisation with 179 members (65 women and 114 men) dedicated to organic, agroecological production in the southern Ecuadorian Amazon. The association focuses on producing high-quality cassava and plantains grown to certified organic standards, as well as coffee, cocoa and other fruit products based on agroforestry systems.
And in 2024, APEOSAE secured an export deal with Oxfam in Belgium with the support of the CREA project’s commercial team.
Celebrating the export agreement is just as important to the project team as the steps that brought them to this point. In this case, the CREA team facilitated the commercial partnership between OXFAM and the organisation. Behind the scenes, a comprehensive organisational development process took place, including management, marketing, business, governance, branding, youth inclusion, and gender equality within APEOSAE.
Miguel Escudero, market researcher at Rikolto and part of the CREA project, explained how the partnership came about:
"First, we identified the commercial opportunity at just the right moment when Oxfam was looking to change its supplier of plantains and cassava chips in order to provide a product in store with an organic certification. Second, we offered constant monitoring and support during the negotiation phases to ensure that the partnership was established.”
The second partnership that CREA facilitated was with INALPROCES. This local Ecuadorian company specialises in transforming fresh produce into snacks for export and was brought into the project as they hold the necessary food safety certifications required by OXFAM. Meanwhile, APEOSAE contributed fair trade credentials through the Small Producers' Partnership (SPP) scheme.
Under the partnership, APEOSAE supplies the raw peeled cassava and plantains, which are then processed by INALPROCES into plantain and cassava chips. The snack is then exported through APEOSAEA after production. Oxfam Fair Trade then imports and distributes the finished products to retail outlets across Europe. To date, five containers have been exported!.
This commercial deal currently provides a stable outlet for APEOSAE's organic produce and creates seasonal employment opportunities, particularly for women. APEOSAE's women members are involved in the initial processing stages, such as peeling and preparation.
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"Rikolto's role was important because they have first-hand knowledge of what Oxfam Fair Trade needs to do its work. They know our market, and they know which producers here in Ecuador offer this high quality.”
Rikolto supported the process by facilitating a synergy between APEOSAE and INALPROCES to help them comply with Fairtrade and Organic certifications, as well as Oxfam’s food safety requirements. This coordination required a period of coaching and follow-up to adapt both partners' working methods.
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The process was not without its setbacks. Luis Soria, Coordinator of the CREA Project’s commercial team at Rikolto, recalls the need for dialogue and confidence-building in the earlystages, particularly with the members of APEOSAE’s board.
“There were also some technical challenges, such as gaps in knowledge regarding packaging standards, product quality control and the consistent supply of raw materials,” Luis explains. However, these were gradually addressed through training, coaching and close collaboration with APEOSAE.
An inflection point also came when the European Union’s revised organic regulation (Regulation 848/2018) began to be implemented at the start of the year. APEOSAE temporarily paused shipments in order to align with the new requirements. Despite this, APEOSAE's dedication, alongside the support of the CREA commercial team, helped them to meet the new requirements and resume their shipments.
Luis Soria, Coordinator of the CREA project's commercial team at Rikolto, shared one of the project's aim: to empower farmer organisations and agrifood businesses, providing them with the tools to navigate the complexities of exporting to the European Union. The commercial agreement between OXFAM and APEOSAE is one of the milestones in the professionalisation journey between Rikolto (through CREA) and APEOSAE, along with the following:
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For the CREA team, this collaboration addresses the increasing demand in European markets for traceable, organic, fair and environmentally friendly products. This joint initiative responds to the growing emphasis on sustainability and transparency in global supply chains, in line with both the European Green Deal and the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
Oxfam is already underway to explore new product lines and increase export volumes - particularly cassava-based innovations - in response to evolving market demands.
As Miguel concludes:
"Your snack can be part of a global story of impact. In Belgium, these plantain and cassava chips are already available in Oxfam shops - connecting consumers directly to a transparent and values-based supply chain".
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Would you like to find out more about sourcing avocados and other products from the CREA programme? Get in touch with our colleagues:
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