Increased demand for produce free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers in export markets is attracting Colombian food entrepreneurs and exporters to re-think farming practices. Seeking natural fertilizers, biological pest control, more crop rotation and even organic certification is now seen as a way to increase productivity and competitiveness.
The Colombian Minister of Agriculture, Aurelio Iragorri, stated recently during an interview for the Dinero Magazine, that the country should adjust its products offering and avoid wasting time in conventional foodstuffs that are not active enough in the global context.
“We should look for Colombia’s food safety, import substitution, and export expansion. This is possible if we start to harvest organic products, like fruits and vegetables,” he said.
Colombia is one of the leading producers of tropical fruits and coffee in the western hemisphere. It has the world’s second richest biodiversity, thanks to its location in the Northern part of the continent between the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. The Andean mountains cross along its central territory and in the South, it shares part of the Amazon rainforest. The Latin American country enjoys ideal climate conditions and geography for many crops in high demand such as coffee, tropical fruits and superfoods like Physalis and quinoa.