Author: ExpoDubai

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Producers to
Market Alliance program, will be visiting the Colombia pavilion at the EXPO 2020 Dubai to
explore various partnership opportunities and facilitate Colombia’s market exposure.

USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and functions as a catalyst
for driving global development. Through its Producers to Markets Alliance (PMA) Program,
the agency improves coordination between producers, buyers, and international markets.

The PMA program works to strengthen economies by working closely with producers to
improve the quality and volume of raw materials to match market standards, and to help them
become more competitive nationally and internationally through training and guidance.
Currently, the program has been implemented in the Colombian departments of Antioquia,
Bolívar, Caquetá, Cauca, Córdoba, Meta, Nariño, and Valle del Cauca. Each partner in the
program was chosen due to their unique, high-quality products, and their willingness to
strengthen the value chain as a whole working closely with producers.

Improving connections between producers and export companies further strengthens the
supply chain and works towards improving the livelihoods of Colombian families. Through
the EXPO 2020, companies partnered with the PMA in various Colombian regions will
receive more networking opportunities, discover new market trends, and liaise with
international buyers.

The Colombian partners of the PMA are looking forward to this opportunity presented by the
EXPO 2020 Dubai to expand and showcase their potential.

Colombia, considered as one of the seven pantries in the world, is seeking to explore opportunities in exporting bovine meat to the UAE. The country hopes to promote the benefits of its premium meat products during the agriculture month that will take place in the pavilion and food, agriculture, and livelihood week at Expo 2020 Dubai during February.

Through its participation in the most inclusive world Expo, the nation aims to increase its meat exports to the MENA region and promote Colombia’s strong investment portfolio. The remaining months of the global exhibition are packed with meetings between Colombia and leaders of influential companies in the UAE to discuss strategies to ensure food security in the Middle East and how Colombia can leverage its livestock sector to meet the target.

The nation’s privileged location and topography ensures that cattle herd are grass-fed all year around without the use of growth hormones and boosters, promoting natural growth and ensuring the highest quality of meat produced. This practice adheres to the standards for Halal, making Colombia’s produce a suitable choice for the Middle East region. As a result, there is a growing demand in the Middle East for Colombian meat products that meet halal standards.

Products from natural and healthy or chemical-free meat production practices are labeled with the Colombian Beef Grass-Fed CO seal. This distinctive mark means guaranteed safe, healthy, and high-quality meat produced and manufactured naturally and sustainably.  In 2021, a Colombian company first obtained this certification for beef exports, further boosting the entry of Colombian premium meat into international markets.

As a country that has already entered the UAE market through the export of its fruits, vegetables and meat, Colombia is well-positioned to further expand its presence in the Middle East and significantly contribute to meeting the demand for meat products.

This exponential growth of meat exports from Colombia is attributed to the quality of the nation’s livestock products. Colombia’s broad livestock sector, the fourth largest cattle herd in Latin America, is known for excellent cattle breeds including Zebu and the Colombian Brahman. Cattle farms are concentrated in the departments of Antioquia, Caquetá, Meta, Casanare, and Córdoba, and are known for sustainable and healthy meat production practices.

Another factor that boosts Colombia’s meat export position is the nation’s location and logistics infrastructure. Strategically located at the border of Central and South America, Colombia has access to major ports and its robust logistics infrastructure are equipped with cold chain facilities suitable for meat products.

Colombia has been diversifying its export product portfolio leveraging its rich sectors including agribusiness, livestock, fintech, and information and communications technology (ICT), among others. Expo 2020 is an added booster to this growing Colombia export strategy and helps to further stimulate the economic growth of various industries and sectors in Colombia.

Colombia, a nation known for its wealth and abundance of produce, participated in Gulfood 2022, the world’s largest annual food and beverage (F&B) sourcing event. The event, realized from 13-17 February 2022, was a platform for the pavilion to promote its products and explore various partnership and investment opportunities to expand the international reach of the country’s F&B sector.

Nine companies from Colombia showed their latest innovations and opportunities in the country’s food industry, especially for commodities such as beef, cocoa, coffee, fruits and other superfoods.

Some of these companies include Selvática, Sommet sparkling water, La Gufanda coffee, Nativa (fruits), Fedegan (meat), Friogan (meat), Daabon (fruits, oil, sustainable agriculture) Nutresa (cocoa, coffee) and Colombina (sweets). The vibrant show is further testament to Colombia’s rich agricultural and meat biodiversity and highlights its potential to become one of the leading countries in the foodservice sector.

The country’s National Coffee Association has also set up its stand at the show to arouse curiosity and draw participants’ attention to the unique properties of Colombian coffee.

Colomibia, which is one of the world’s seven food pantries according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), aims to take advantage of the unique opportunities at Gulfood 2022 to showcase its export potential. The country’s key F&B players foresee new opportunities for collaboration with Middle Eastern markets through this participation.

Colombia, a diverse country that boasts of rich and flavorful produce celebrated the Expo Food Week from February 17 – 23, by displaying a variety of exotic Colombian produce at their pavilion. Colombia, is one of the seven pantries in the world according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has exported fresh and processed fruits and vegetables to the UAE amounting to more than AED 16.5 million (USD 4.5 million) in 2021, a 137 per cent increase from the previous year.

The country’s strategic geographical location and climate provides the ideal conditions to produce more than 400 varieties of fruit through the year. Today, Colombia has been regarded as one of the ten most important exotic fruit suppliers in the world.

Colombia’s fruits and vegetables are known for their colour, flavour, and aroma. The fruits have been adopted by many international cuisines too. Thanks to the EXPO, the UAE now sells eleven different varieties of Colombian fruit, including feijoas, curubas, pitahayas, granadillas, gulupas, baby bananas, uchuvas, guavas, papayas, tree tomatoes and figs- all of which are available at the UAE’s local online market Kibsons and other retailers.

Trade relations between Colombia and the UAE have witnessed continuous development over the years with the Colombian fruit market experiencing tremendous growth, and sales expected to further double this year.

Visitors had a chance to enjoy the South American nation’s delicious fruits while also learning more about the country at the Colombia Pavilion. Through the EXPO Food, agriculture and livelihood Week, Colombia promoved the country’s abundant natural resources, including tourism, as well as develop investment prospects.