São Paulo – Brazilian exports of organic products totalled US$ 108.2 million this year, growth of 60% over last year. Sales were by 72 companies in the Organics Brazil Project, which exported to 70 countries, being the food sector responsible for 96% of the total exported.
The main products shipped were sugar, mashed fruit, like assai, Brazil cherry and oranges, honey, nuts and coffee. Organic cosmetics were also shipped abroad, and represented growth of 25% over 2009.
For 2011, the Organics Brazil Project believes in constant growth of exports, with special attention to semi-industrialized products in bulk. On the domestic market, there are great expectations for sales with the officialising of the national organic seal.
"The officialising of national regulation allows for tracing and credibility, making greater business feasible," according to a press statement by project coordinator Ming Liu.
According to the press statement, this year the products exported under their own brand dropped by 25% in comparison with 2009. With the growth of the domestic market, companies opted for investment in the country.
"On the foreign market, exchange rates have made competitiveness more difficult, as has the high cost of promotion of an own brand on the international markets, often prohibitive for small and medium companies," said Liu.
Currently, exports of organics go mainly to the United States, German, the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, South Korea, China and Australia.
*Translated by Mark Ament
