Colombia strengthens an industry alliance in Europe for safe and responsible bananas

Logistics, sustainability and a decent wage

09-Feb-2026

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At Fruit Logistica 2026, the Association of Banana Producers of Colombia (AUGURA) and the Association of Banana Producers from Magdalena and La Guajira (ASBAMA) presented a united front. They were accompanied by the Colombian Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Yadir Salazar-Mejía, and ProColombia, in order to protect the future of the Colombian banana on the European market. The message was clear: the sustainability of the banana must not lie solely with the producer; it requires real co-responsibility along the entire supply chain.

The conversation took place during the "Banana Secure Value Forum", a platform that brought together importers, supermarket chains, port authorities and certification bodies to discuss the industry challenges that characterize the sector today: logistical security, regulatory requirements and the growing need for investment to maintain socially and environmentally responsible business operations.

AUGURA and ASBAMA emphasized that building a reliable and verifiable supply entails growing costs for compliance with safety regulations, working conditions and environmental management, which must be fairly distributed to ensure supply and stability of the trade.

The President of AUGURA, Emerson Aguirre Medina, explained: "We cannot speak of sustainability if we do not make visible the real efforts and costs that the Colombian producer is taking on to provide quality, decent working conditions, environmental and social commitments and additional security costs. We have come to Berlin to develop a common narrative in which retailers and European buyers play their part in maintaining this responsible supply chain."

The President of ASBAMA, José Francisco Zúñiga Cotes, added: "The Colombian banana arrives in Europe under the highest standards of quality, social and environmental responsibility, but today these achievements are disproportionately at the expense of producers. It is time for the entire supply chain to take its share of responsibility to ensure a safe, fair and long-term sustainable supply. Banana producers in Colombia are willing to continue to grow and comply with all the standards required by the European market, but now is the time to share responsibility along the entire chain to ensure the sustainability of the sector."

The associations affirm that Colombia can further consolidate its leadership in Europe on a simple premise: The responsible banana is not only declared, but also financed. To achieve this, it is necessary to make joint commitments that enable progress towards fair, verifiable and stable trade for producers, buyers and consumers.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1188046/colombia-strengthens-an-industry-alliance-in-europe-for-safe-and-responsible-bananas.html