Fairs and Events Attended
April-May 2005, FEICOBOL Tradeshow - Cochabamba, Bolivia
As co-organizer of the alternative development stand, ACDI/VOCA worked closely with other institutions, including the Bolivian Vice Ministry of Alternative Development, PDAR, PRAEDAC, DAI, FAO-C23, and Bolhispania. Thirty-five producers' associations and companies from the Tropics of Cochabamba and the Yungas of La Paz participated.
November 2004, A Taste of the Holidays Fair, sponsored by the American British International Association - La Paz, Bolivia
Participation in the fair highlighted Yungas alternative development food products with a booth at the entrance ofthe fair grounds. Fair goers purchased Yungas honey, coffee, cocoa and chocolates, as well as saw an interesting educational display of Yungas products.
October 2004, FEXPOTUR International Trade Show - Miami, Florida, USA
The First Bolivian Tourism Fair - FEXPOTUR 2004 - in Miami was held with the main purpose of promoting Bolivian tourist destinations to the US market. The fair also provided a venue for introducing Bolivian products and services. Participants established new contacts, strengthened busin ess links, and promoted Bolivian tourism and other products. Diverse Bolivian enterprises - including hotels, tour agencies, a variety of artisans, and airlines - comprised a total of 50 exhibitors. As a result of this joint effort by ACDI/VOCA and DAI/CONCADE and in coordination with the Bolivian Vice Ministry for Alternative Development, the YCADF facilitated the participation of three organizations at the fair: Municipio de Coroico (Coroico Municipality), Asociación de Cafés Especiales de Bolivia (Bolivian Specialty Coffee Association) and the Asociación de Hoteleros del Trópico de Cochabamba (Cochabamba Tropic´s Hotel Association).
October 2004, National Trade Show Feria, XV EXPO LA PAZ International 2004 - Seguencome, La Paz, Bolivia
Twenty-five organizations from the Yungas and Chapare participated in this fair, which attracts national and international artisans and small enterprises. From a producer´s point of view, the main purpose of participation is to increase sales, increase awareness of products among potential customers, create new business contacts, participate in the business networking round tables, and follow-up on contacts already established with present local and national buyers. ACDI/VOCA coordinated closely with the VDA, DAI-CONCADE and the FAO’s C-23 project in this effort.
September 16-26, 2004, XXIX Exhibition Fair EXPOCRUZ 2004 - Santa Cruz, Bolivia
This Santa Cruz-based International Fair, organized by FEXPOCRUZ, is well-known as the most important product fair in Bolivia. This year, among the 2,200 exhibitors were 1,050 international participants from 20 countries and 1,150 from Bolivia. A recorded A recorded 462,000 visitors attended. The successful participation of Yungas and Chapare producers was closely coordinated by ACDI/VOCA with the VDA, DAI/CONCADE and the FAO’s C-23 project. Producers were able to promote conventional and organic products from USAID-funded alternative development activities in the Yungas and Chapare regions. Yungas products and services that were presented at the fair included: specialty coffee and coffee blends; honey, royal jelly, and pollen; organic fresh and dried bananas; El Ceibo’s cocoa and chocolates; Yungas green and black tea; organic annatto seed and powder; and, tourism. An inter-institutional alternative development display provided information on the various USAID-funded projects. (Link to Product Information)
September 8-10, 2004, BIOFACH (Organic Market Development Conference) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Four producer representatives from the Yungas and Alto Beni attended the organic product trade show held in Rio. Such an event assists producers in the development of organic product markets from Latin America. Yungas and Alto Beni producers who attended are involved in developing sustainable fair markets for organic banana, citrus and annatto. BIOFACH America Latina, an important Latin American organic fair, is held yearly in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and attracts over 1,800 participants. Yungas and Alto Beni producers shared a stand where they promoted their products, distributed information, and displayed samples. Producers also participated in the business roundtable meetings and seminars where they made new business contacts, learned about the variety of organic products offered world-wide in existing organic markets of Brazil, Argentina, Japan, USA and Europe, how to export to selected markets, market demand trends for organic products, and standards and regulations for selected markets.
April 14-17, 2004, 26th Hemispheric Congress of Latin American Chambers of Commerce and Industry - Miami, Florida, USA
The Hemispheric Congress of Latin American Chambers of Commerce and Industry provided an important and strategic opportunity to promote alternative development in Bolivia, within a high-level international scope. Consequently, ACDI/VOCA representatives attended the event and supported the participation of Bolivian private entities at this event. ACDI/VOCA support was provided for the management, dissemination, promotion and development of business opportunities for the products and services presently supported in the Yungas area. Participation included producers from both the Chapare and Yungas regions of Bolivia, representing achiote, coffee, cacao, and chocolate. Tourism was also represented. Activities were coordinated with the Bolivian Vice Ministry of Alternative Development (VDA), ADYLAP, DAI/CONCADE, PDAR/Chapare and the Bolivian Chamber of Commerce.
February 19-22, 2004, BIOFACH (Organic Market Development Conference) - Nuremberg, Germany
ACDI/VOCA, in close coordination with the Bolivian Vice Ministry for Alternative Development, was responsible for sending four producers/entrepreneurs (two achiote, one cacao and one banana) from the Yungas to exhibit their products. The overall objective of their participation was to forge relationships with potential buyers in the higher-priced markets of Europe, the U.S. and Asia, and for them to increase their understanding of the requirements involved in international marketing. BIOFACH 2004 registered an attendance of 29,556 trade visitors and a wide range of organic products from 67 countries presented by 1,897 exhibitors. Main objectives for attending the BIOFACH fair were to promote high-quality certified organic products in international trade and to create market linkages between organic producers from the Yungas and international buyers. ACDI/VOCA developed informational materials for the promotion of organic achiote, cacao and banana. Participants included: Rofelio Quispe, AIPEAVE president; Mario Hilario, achiote post-harvest processing manager, AIPEAVE; Felipe Fernandez, representative, Association of Cacao Producers Porvenir; and Horacio Peralta, representative, International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP - APAECU).
November 14-30, 2003, National Handicrafts and Small Enterprise Fair (Feria Nacional de Artesania y Pequeña Industrial) - Seguencome, La Paz, Bolivia
ACDI/VOCA, in close coordination with Bolivia's Vice Ministry of Alternative Development, designed and developed the Yungas Alternative Development exhibit fror the national trade show held in La Paz, coordinating the participation of Yungas producers. ACDI/VOCA developed an innovative concept for the exhibition space and all the related promotional materials. The exhibit, which reflected the lively outdoor environment of a Yungas marketplace, occupied some 100 square meters and consisted of a central isle with a crushed rock floor, Yungas products and materials displayed on wooden crates, and an assortment of colorful umbrellas open overhead. The variety of Yungas products on display included smoked sausage, chocolate made from cocao, honey, achiote, cheese, tea, stevia natural sweetener, bananas, and coffee. Official hostesses in traditional Bolivian dress handed out informational materials. ACDI/VOCA contracted the services of Movimiento Cultural Saya Afroboliviano folk musicians and dancers to further accentuate the Yungeño atmosphere and conducted a quiz on Yungas alternative development with special prizes for the winners. Participants included the Association of Ecological Achiote Producers of Villa Exaltacion, the Association of Ecological Honey Producers of Caranavi, Yungas Honey, the Association of Specialty Coffees of Bolivia, University of Carmen Pampa, Independent Stevia Enterprise, International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain, El Ciebo Cooperative, Jatun Sacha C-23 Project, and the Bolivian Vice Ministry of Alternative Development and Alliance of Integral Development of the Yungas and the North of La Paz.
September 2003, BIOFACH (Organic Market Development Conference) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A number of producers from the Yungas attended in Organic Market Development Conference in Brazil. Participants learned about a variety of organic products offered worldwide, the increasing market demand for such products, and about the quality standards and production levels needed to meet the demand. Participants also viewed exhibits representing organic products from different countries around the world.
