This year’s XVII International Banana Convention is going to a virtual format for the first time and will focus on new and existing challenges faced by the global banana industry, PRO ECUADOR and the Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters announced.
The event, dubbed “Banana Time”, will take place 5-8 October and feature a digital agenda that organisers hope will strengthen the production capacities of banana growers and exporters worldwide.
The four-day online convention is open to all those involved in the international banana supply chain – producers and exporters to buyers, consultants, packaging and logistics operators.
“As we reinvent ourselves as an association, we have built an event of international importance that responds to the current needs of producers, exporters, and suppliers,” Marianella Ubilla, president of Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters, says. “This meeting will allow us to exchange views with global markets. We want to strengthen the development of a sustainable production chain that allows us to open more opportunities for everyone, and for the benefit of our national economy.”
PRO ECUADOR has confirmed that 15 banana buyers will be on hand for the event,which will feature international representation from China, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, Korea, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Chile, and others.
Participants can attend all of the conference’s sessions, which will be highlighted by international speakers, exchanges of global experiences, a virtual exhibition and digital business matchmaking roundtables to discuss, learn and collaborate at a time when innovation and cooperation are of utmost importance.
Topics will cover: financing investment for sustainable development, smart technologies, blockchain strategies, responding to the coronavirus (COVID-19) health emergency, plans and prospects for commercial investment, plus international trade developments, among others.
“Our objective is to develop a greater international market for bananas,” José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director of AEBE, adds. “To achieve this, structural improvements must be implemented within the production processes on the farms; we must promote greater agility in procedures, and generate sources of financing. Every day we face great challenges, therefore as an industry we must respond with resilience and unity. The XVII International Banana Convention 2020 will make it possible to capitalise on national and international experiences that promote the construction of a long-term sustainable vision.”
