IPD - Instituto de Promoção do Desenvolvimento

According to Raymond Bonin, Brazil needs to improve the way in-natura products are marketed in order to gain new markets abroad.

The French fruits & vegetables distribution specialist, Raymond Bonin, visited Brazil last June to learn more about the Brazilian in-natura market. Bonin is part of a  group of more than 3 thousand French senior specialists (Ecti), and he came on a consulting mission promoted by the Development Promotion Institute (IPD) that which develops sustainability projects in our country, and the France-Brazil Chamber of Commerce. 

With more than 40 years of experience in the trade of fruits & vegetables in large European markets, Bonin was impressed by the huge amount of Brazilian products, but called for greater attention to the marketing of these products. "It is imperative to grasp the marketing process, from start to finish, to focus on market organization from the very start”, he said. In his opinion, Brazilian products are excellent, but it is necessary to learn how to sell them in promising markets.

Bonin visited the state of Minas Gerais and learned about an ongoing IPD project in partnership with the São Francisco and Parnaíba Valleys Development company (Codevasf), located in the irrigated perimeters of Jaiba River, called “Economic Dynamization of Family Agriculture in the irrigated Perimeters of the Jaíba – Stage 1”. According to Bonin, what is most impressive about the production process of in-natura products in Brazil is the quality of the existing structure, such as Centraljai (Rural Producers Associations Center), the irrigated perimeter of Jaiba, and the production of Thaiti acid lime and bananas.

The specialist also shared knowledge and exchanged experience with entrepreneurs and representatives from regional cooperatives and talked to farmers directly about marketing and trade among the domestic and export markets. Bonin called attention to the definition of strategies for cooperative production of in-natura products. In his opinion, it is necessary to have stricter control over prices and production value. “There should exist, for instance, a gross-sales market to control and set product prices without too much interference or negotiations”, he suggested.

Control and organization shouldn´t exist only when products are still in the domestic market, but also when they are to be shipped abroad. For the director or the France-Brazil Chamber of Commerce, Ivo Charvet, an idea to increase the export of cooperative-produced in-natura products is to create a business office in an European country, like France, for instance. This initiative has already been implemented in other countries, like Chile, and it ensures the quality of domestic trade and promotes organized and unified distribution in the 26 European countries.

An evidence that the Brazilian market still needs to improve how it markets its products is demonstrated by the lack of Brazilian oranges on the shelves of European supermarkets. "Even though Brazil is the number-one world orange producer, we cannot find Brazilian oranges in European supermarkets. Several countries export oranges and there are several varieties on the shelves, with the exception of Brazilian oranges, which should actually be leading the market", pointed out Bonin.

Another suggestion made by Bonin is prospecting new markets during off-season periods, that is, those periods of time when products become more scarce and European countries are obliged to import them. Chile, for instance, takes advantage of the Christmas off-season window to export cherries, peaches, and apricots.

Despite marketing problems, Bonin believes that Brazil has a promising market and his experience here was very enriching and beautiful. "I just loved the country´s landscape. I took more than a hundred pictures", he said.

The in-natura products cooperative production market in Paraná

During his visit to Brazil, Raymond Bonin also visited the city of Campo Largo, in the state of Paraná. There, the specialist talked directly with cooperative farmers about regional products such as grains and grapes. In Curitiba, besides IPD, the French consultant also visited the Municipal Market and, thanks to his interest in the trade and quality of in-natura products, he also visited Paraná Supply Center (Ceasa) and Small and Medium-sized Business Support Service (Sebrae).  

Quality Consultancy Services

The French specialist and consultant, Raymond Bonin, is a member of one of the largest volunteer senior groups in France - Ecti (www.ecti-vsf.org). Ecti is an independent, non-profit association that promotes economic and social development by voluntarily sharing specialized knowledge with businesses and their associations. The group gathers former business executives and entrepreneurs with great practical experience in technical, commercial, and management. These are highly qualified professionals that have a great potential to satisfy any market demand.

With more than 30 years of experience, the group brings together more than 3 thousand specialists from the most varied fields of knowledge. They provide more than 2 thousand consultancies per year. Associations, businesses, foundations, and organizations may take advantage of their specialized consultancy services at a very low cost. These costs cover mainly transportation, boarding, and hiring and administrative expenses, resulting in a much lower price than the average international consultancy prices, in which consulting is not performed by such a group of volunteers.

For Bonin, the opportunity to exchange knowledge acquired during a full professional life and to provide consultancy services in various countries is a source of great satisfaction and a way of resuming activities he has enjoyed so much. "Ecti has given me the opportunity to learn new things, and sharing experience and knowledge is very enriching", he concluded.

Learn more about this story by visiting the site of the City of Campo Largo:
http://site.campolargo.pr.gov.br/modules/noticias/article.php?storyid=391

Press releases:
Vanessa Dasko
Assessoria de Imprensa – Instituto de Promoção do Desenvolvimento
+ 55 (41) 3271-9148