Geovana Pagel
São Paulo – Lebanese businessman Fares Nassar, who has been living in Brazil for seven years, has developed the first line of products in the world that is simultaneously natural, organic and tropical. Tropivita, established two years ago, is a company specialized in the supply of food and health products produced with sustainable use of biological resources for sale in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Nassar says that the idea arose due to the great demand for organic products. "Specialists in the sector believe that Brazil will become one of the three largest worldwide producers of organic products within the next few years," he explains.
According to the businessman, current Brazilian export is based on unfinished products, thus, the idea of creating an "umbrella" brand, representing various processed products, such as jams, coffee, and coconut, which have greater added value, came up. "All these products have quality stamps demanded by international certifiers," he points out.
For this purpose, says Nassar, it is necessary to identify domestic suppliers who can develop these finished products, and also develop international distribution channels. "The company outsources manufacture and distributes a line of products under the Tropivita brand," he explains.
"Our target is to operate as a global partner for suppliers and customers, and develop a market that brings valuable benefits to those participating, always maintaining social and ecological responsibility," states Nassar, who is a partner with German businessman Bernd Weyersbach.
Foreign distribution includes direct sales to retail networks, sales through distributors, and direct sales via the post and Internet. The first container, containing coffee (toasted, ground, and soluble), jams, coconut water, and banana sweet, was shipped to the United States in October.
Initially, the markets that have shown the greatest interest in these products are the United States and Europe. But, according to Nassar, there is great interest in contact with countries in the Middle East, such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
Expectations for 2004 are optimistic. "We are expecting revenues of over US$ 1 million", guarantees the businessman.
Brand design and marketing
Nassar states that at the beginning the main worry was the development of the brand and of the package, which is always printed in the language of the destination. This requirement was no problem for the Tropivita owners.
All collaborators have double or triple nationality, as does Nassar, son of a Brazilian mother and Lebanese father, who lived in the United States for 11 years, and has now been living in Brazil for seven.
In total, seven languages are spoken and written in the company: Portuguese, English, Spanish, French, Arabic, German, and Russian. The company develops and delivers ready-made packages to producers. "We spent over a year developing the logo and the packages," explains Nassar.
"We wanted a lively, colorful and happy brand," he justifies. The result was the use of green, yellow, and brown. "Green and yellow represent Brazil, brown is the color of the earth, the tree is the representation of forests, and the trunk, in the shape of a hand, brings to mind the indigenous population that also participates in the preparation and production of the products," he justifies.
According to Nassar, the company is very worried with nature preservation. "In future we want to contribute with NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) working in Brazilian ecosystem preservation, such as the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon," he guarantees.
Certification
All Tropivita organic products is certified by the Biodynamic Institute (IBD), which is the oldest and best structured Brazilian certifier, using elevated procedures, standards and certification.
IBD is the only 100% Brazilian certifier with two international credentials, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), which guarantees IBD access to markets such as the United States and Japan. The institute also has the Deutscher Akkreditierungs Rat (DAR), demanded by the European Community.
"The stamps add value to certified products and guarantee consumers that the product is free of chemical contamination, is respectful to the environment, and to the health of men and the earth."
Contact
Tropivita
E-mail: ines@tropivita.com
Telephone: (+5511) 3266-5448
Fax: (+5511) 3266-5489
