MoU for the Ecuadorian banana sector

By signing the MoU, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Ecuador, the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP), the Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency (Agrocalidad), supported by GIZ Ecuador, underlined their commitment to improve the sustainability along the supply chain of banana.

The Memorandum of Understanding has been adopted as part of the GIZ pilot project "Sustainable Banana" in Ecuador. The project aims to improve access to the world market for sustainable bananas for small producers in the Ecuadorian province of El Oro, the main region of banana production in the country.

Ecuador is the largest banana producer in the world. More than 60% of all bananas consumed in Germany come from Ecuador. After crude oil, banana is the second most important export commodity of this small Latin American country. One fifth of the population is economically directly or indirectly dependent on the banana sector.  

The MoU covers various measures. These include the promotion of good agricultural practices and other measures to make production more sustainable. It also aims to promote diversification of banana production and strengthen associations in the banana sector. The MoU also includes measures to prevent pests such as the fungi TR4. Another objective is to disseminate knowledge and innovations on sustainable banana production and commercialization. Furthermore, dialogue processes within the sector shall be stimulated and producers-consumers linkages established.