Huelva organic berries, international quality seal
WHO WANTS TO CONSUME MORE ECOLOGICAL PRODUCTS?
Organic berries are here to stay. They have stopped being a temporary trend and are now consumed worldwide practically all year. Some predict that in ten years, all of Europe’s consumption will be mostly ecological.
For example, Sweden is a pioneer country in betting on these products and registers an annual consumption growth of over 20%. Demand is growing worldwide, but is production increasing at the same rate?
To get an idea of the great differences in the consumption of these products, it is enough to indicate that each Swiss citizen dedicates an average of 221.5 euros per year to the purchase of organic products, while the annual average in Spain is around 21.7 euros per person.
According to the World Vegetable Map 2018, report, organic products already account for more than 10% of sales in European markets such as Austria, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland, and notable progress was observed in the US.
The European countries where more organic products are consumed are Germany, France, and the United Kingdom. Countries in the European Union with the highest per capita consumption of organic products are Luxembourg and Denmark.
MAPAMA IS FOCUSED ON SPANISH ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE.
The evolution of the ecological sector on an international level in recent years, as well as the increase in demand from Spanish consumers, further reaffirms the need for a strategic plan within this sector.
Considering the ecological strategy of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food, and Environment (MAPAMA), there is a need for collaboration with the different autonomous regions, since it is up to them to control and regulate organic production.
From MAPAMA, production and biological consumption are not being promoted, and therefore, they presented the document “Strategy for Organic Production 2018-2020”, in which they propose four main measures to support this type of production:
1. Promote internal consumption and improve the organic products market (trade).
This Strategy proposes the launching of a series of information and promotion elements focused on the recognition of organic products by the consumer, as well as other actions more focused on some specific groups (prescribers, child population, hospitality sector, catering and distribution associations …).
The trust of the final consumer is a fundamental element in the decision to buy organic products. Therefore, this strategy emphasizes on “assessing the excellent system of control of the production and ecological certification of Spain.”
2. Contribute to a better sector integration.
Spanish organic production is a thriving sector, which needs to have solid structures to defend its positions. MAPAMA has already been promoting the different entities that represent the sector through mechanisms such as agreements and grants.
For this, all possible formulas will be studied by experts and autonomous regions, in addition to the representatives exploring the feasibility of new actions, such as the creation of an Interprofessional Network of Ecological Products.
3. Support organic production, evolution, and consolidation.
The ecological sector’s current situation offers an image of implementation throughout the national territory, but the truth is that its consolidation presents important differences that are not only territorial but sectoral as well.
Differences between Autonomous Communities can be seen in the published national statistics on organic production. Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha represent more than 68% of the entire national surface in organic production.
The present strategy tries to foster the links between different production methods with the entities where the knowledge on R + D + I reside. Organic production receives great support from programs co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), whose purpose is the conversion or maintenance of organic farming practices.
4. Study on the organic production role in sustainability policies.
Organic farming and environmental policy support the sustainability of the agri-food system. They both play a very important role in alleviating the abandonment of agricultural activity in areas of low productivity and therefore, help to avoid the degradation of ecosystems and contribute to their conservation.
The search for these positive confluences is not only a requirement for organic production methods but provides a way to continue taking into account the social demands and planning requirements of the European Union and the Spanish Government itself.
PEHU TO KEEP HUELVA (SPAIN) AS A LEADER IN EUROPEAN MARKET.
The organic production of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries, in which Huelva is a leader, plays an important role in the development of the Huelva economy. The direct effects of these activities include the generation of employment and wealth in the area, with the indirect effects being the creation of an important network of services around the auxiliary industry sector.
Organic production generates more than 42,000 jobs in Andalusia, whose agricultural income is more than 400 million euros, with an export value of 680 million euros.
Europe remains the main market for organic berries, whose first destination is Germany. That is why the Provincial Strategic Plan of Huelva (PEHU) is committed to promoting internationalization, innovation, and sustainability, as the main measures to guarantee the growth and projection of this sector of the Huelva economy.
In it, we offer the data that highlights the leadership of our province as the main exporter of organic red fruits from Andalusia. Specifically, the bestselling products by Huelva companies abroad are organic strawberries, followed by organic raspberries, organic blueberries and organic blackberries. In addition, the PEHU includes the provincial plan to improve the competitiveness of red fruits, putting a value on organic farming, with measures such as:
- Transformation impulse of agricultural exploitations in ecological production.
- The promotion of the awareness of farmers undergoing training in organic farming techniques.
- Search for new markets.
- Improvement of Market channels.
- Creation of controls and guarantees of quality and food safety.
- Geographical identifications that protect the origin of the product.
- Improvements in waste management and water consumption regulation.
BIONEST: GUARANTEED QUALITY AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENT
Bionest has recently developed new facilities that are more energetically efficient. We have, therefore, managed to implement new cultivation systems that allow us to be more respectful of the natural environment, and this allows us to grow the best quality berries.
We have spent more than two decades fully dedicated to our fields, our organic fruits, research, and the development of varieties to provide excellent products to the most demanding customers. This has made it possible for Bionest to consolidate itself as the leading Spanish organic berries producer in the European market.
The fruits we produce cross Spanish borders daily, reaching mainly markets in Germany, England, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Also, our portfolio of international clients is growing due to the incorporation of companies from the Asian and Arab countries.
Therefore, we are organic berry’s main exporter in the European market.
Since our launching, as experts in the international market and organic farming, Bionest never misses the opportunity to attend agricultural events and fairs, such as the last Biofach 2019 or the next Fruit Attraction 2019, to publicize the quality of our products and show our work to current and future customers.
Another event indicated in the sector is the Fruit Logística 2020, a reference in the fruit and vegetable sector. Next year, Berlin will once more host leading companies in the sector worldwide, as well as small and medium-sized suppliers around the world, which will be a fantastic experience that we will definitely repeat the next year.
One of our goals in attending the different fairs within the sector, is to express the idea that organic growers must not only pursue the procurement of the label/certificate that identifies it, but must also offer a superior quality product that will be consistent with Ecological concepts, since it is absolute perfection that will make the consumer repeat their purchase.
We also want to convey our integral commitment to sustainable development in addition to sharing new initiatives with our clients. We constantly innovate in terms of packaging, both in the material (paperboard, biodegradable plastic …) and in formats (family formats, snack format …).
Our goal is to reduce the use of plastic, replacing it with paperboard in the packaging of our products. In the last four years, we have reduced the consumption of plastic by 30%, and our purpose is to make all our packages biodegradable.
Explore our solutions for sustainable packaging
Bionest focuses on maintaining sustainability and growing exploitation based on its main commercial strategies on internationalization.
The international market is increasingly demanding organic products and thanks to the support of some Government Organizations such as MAPAMA, and other development and investment programs such as EAFRD, the Spanish berries sector is consolidated as a synonym for guarantee and excellence; certified, thriving and in constant innovation, which bears the name of the province of Huelva all over the world.
We know that our products have superior quality, but why do they succeed so much outside our borders?
Our quality berries and their health benefits make us maintain an upward evolution and growth. This fact encourages our commitment, makes us know more and more about international demand, positions us as experts in the sector, and encourages us to maintain the search for new markets in which we can operate.
References:
https://www.huelvainformacion.es/huelva/frutos-rojos-record-ventas_0_1318368431.html
https://elareaverdemundial.wordpress.com/2018/01/26/world-vegetable-map-2018-mucho-de-interes/
https://www.freshplaza.es/article/9063310/espana-la-produccion-de-frutas-y-hortalizas-ecologicas-crece-al-mismo-ritmo-que-la-demanda/
https://www.huelvainformacion.es/huelva/produccion-ecologica-resultado-esfuerzo-requisitos_0_1368163712.html
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/what/glossary/e/european-agricultural-fund-for-rural-development
