Reducing waste by extending the fruit life through a focus on improving shipping conditions is one of the main motivations for the controlled atmosphere experts Liventus Global, based in Santiago, Chile.
According to Germán Sims, Global Commercial Manager of Liventus, “The products most requested by exporters worldwide are the Controlled Atmosphere (CA) and plastics. The first manages to reduce the respiratory rate, delays ripening and decreases the proliferation of fungi, while our packaging solutions increase relative humidity, maintaining the firmness of the fruits. Each of them is constantly tested and improved by our R&D department in order to find new ways to solve the issues that may affect commodities during transit, and guarantee that the fruit arrives in good quality and condition.”
Claudia Mardones, CEO of Liventus Global.
Claudia Mardones, CEO of Liventus: “I’ve been in Liventus since the start of their operations. Liventus was born as a result of the acquisition of a global controlled atmosphere business initially called TransFresh, a north American company located mainly in the United States, but that had operations worldwide. Almost 10 years ago, we (in Chile) acquired a big portion of that business, transforming it into a Chilean company that operates worldwide as well. Today, its state of the art technology, know-how, expertise, operation, and personnel work on delivering an excellent controlled atmosphere service, which focuses on Research, Innovation, and Development to add value to the post-harvest solutions we deliver.”
She says they take the time and effort to understand that each problem has a different solution and each exporter has a different challenge. “We do not focus on delivering just one product or post-harvest solution, rather we seek to deliver comprehensive and innovative solutions, be it CA, bags, software, technical advice, or other types of technology the exporter needs to solve their problems. You cannot treat the problems of the same fruit, in the same way, in all countries, since they are produced with a different technique, it is necessary to have a different and specific value proposition for each case.”
Liventus controller device being installed.
Mardones notes since the beginning of Liventus in South America, they have expanded the business in countries such as Colombia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and South Africa – many of these countries have long transit times to markets where preserving quality is key.
“Some of these countries already have a large export volume, and others are growing with great potential ahead, therefore, we see that the use of CA and post-harvest solutions is becoming a need and a must. Being so consolidated in these countries is key, since from there, we have managed to expand to other countries such as Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Morocco, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Argentina, among others. We hope to grow in these countries and many others, in order to continue helping exporters around the world to reach their destination safely with their fruit.”
Due to their global reach Liventus are able to spot gaps and trends and respond to it with their R&D approach. “A while ago, we noticed there were some specific problems where the recommended solution was mainly based on controlled atmosphere, but with the support of additional products that work in conjunction with CA, would work as an even better solution for exporters. We now have a line of products that include bags for fruit packaging and transit, which increases the relative humidity, reducing the weight loss of the fruit. This is important because it prevents dehydration so that the fruit can maintain its quality during the export process. We offer different types of bags depending on the market and the commodity specifications. We will continue diversifying our product line to reach a bigger scope of exporters and commodities,” concludes Mardones.
For more information:
Claudia Mardones
Liventus Global
Tel: +56 232422260
Email: [email protected]
www.liventusglobal.com