An impactful headline of conferences is slated for the 20th International Convention Banana Time 2023 taking place at the Hilton Colón Hotel in Guayaquil, Ecuador from October 24 to 27, 2023. The Association of Ecuadorian Banana Exporters (AEBE) notes particular emphasis on issues of climate and sustainability.
Issues including productive conditions, labor relations to business and market issues. Crucial topics in climate and sustainability will be addressed, including a thorough review of the climatic phenomena of El Niño and La Niña in Ecuador, as well as initiatives to measure and reduce the carbon and water footprint of banana production. Two specific conferences to notice are:
Contributions of the FAO World Banana Forum to sustainability. progress and challenges for true shared responsibility.
Promoting shared responsibility among all actors in the commercial chain, so that producers can implement and comply with new rules and demands of the international market. The need to link product prices to the costs of sustainable production is highlighted, so that the investments required to meet the new demands do not fall solely on the producers and aspirations can be covered, such as the implementation of salaries. It will discuss decent income and due diligence on human rights and environmental risks.
Monitoring the climate in Ecuador, effects of the phenomena of La Nina and El Niño.
How the network of meteorological stations of the AEBE Banana Statistical Observatory helps in making production decisions in the face of constant climate change. Regarding the El Niño, more than 70% of Ecuadorian farmers have seen major impacts of climate change on farms. It is estimated to have reduced farmers' incomes by 15.7% on average over the past two years. Orense banana producers and exporters differ about the possible effects of the El Niño phenomenon on crops and the sales price of a box of bananas. The El Niño phenomenon could cause the loss of up to 50,000 hectares of banana plantations, equivalent to an average of 1,365,000 tons, 71,130,797 export boxes and $599,632,618 in lost exports.
José Antonio Hidalgo, Executive Director of AEBE: “We want to make known the efforts that Ecuador is making in social and environmental sustainability, with advanced regulations that accompany the responsible work of our companies. This ranges from compliance with the Living Wage, to the work to promote and renew the first manual on occupational health with international organizations and local authorities, to always look after our workers who are the most important thing in our chain. In terms of sustainability, Ecuador is ready and willing to increase its leadership in the most demanding markets."
The event is aimed at both industry experts and the general public interested in one of Ecuador's main export products, bananas. A secure and reliable online platform to register for the conference www.bananatime.btoolbox.com/index.
For more information:
Jose Antonio Hidalgo
AEBE
Tel: +593 96 402 9141
Email: [email protected]
www.aebe.com.ec