Peru, Mexico and Chile officially launch the Global Grape Group

A new alliance between table grape producers in Chile, Mexico and Peru to promote the long-term sustainability of the industry was officially inaugurated at last week’s Global Produce & Floral Show in Anaheim.

The Global Grape Group (GGG) seeks to boost table grape consumption through coordinated promotional activities highlighting the product’s health benefits, flavour and convenience.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Manuel Yzaga, president of Provid Perú, Marcelo Vanegas, president of Mexico Table Grapes, and Iván Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile.

The alliance comes at a challenging time for the fresh grape industry. Over the past eight years, the combined supply of table grapes from Chile, Peru, and Mexico to the US (the largest consumer market for table grapes) has grown by 41 per cent, reaching 100mn cartons exported last year, and it is projected to exceed 110mn in the coming years. However, demand in the US has grown only 3 per cent over the same period, and per capita consumption has stagnated, falling from 3.9kg in 2005 to 3.8kg currently.

“This imbalance creates a risk of saturation, as when supply volume exceeds 3.5mn cartons per week, prices tend to drop dramatically, as evidenced last season, reaching an unsustainable level of US$18 per box,” the group said.

“To address this situation, the GGG was created with the conviction that it is possible to generate actions for increased consumption. Thus, table grapes are presented as ‘more than a fruit’, a ‘healthy snack par excellence’ available 12 months a year.”

The strategy, detailed by the group, focuses on increasing global consumption (starting with the US), providing information for better market decisions, and promoting sustainability.

Among the initiatives already underway are the publication of a report setting out information on the different origins of table grapes, the selection of the Ro2media agency for the promotional campaign, as well as the launch of the “Have a Grape Day” campaign in March of this year, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that officially launches the group’s work.

During the inauguration ceremony, the structure of the GGG was also presented. In addition to its founding members, it seeks to incorporate other associations such as the California Table Grape Commission and Sati of South Africa, inviting the entire value chain (brokers, importers, retailers, breeders, among others) to join.

Ignacio Caballero, executive director of the Chilean Fruit Table Grape Committee, explained that while the group begins with these three founding members, the invitation is open to all stakeholders in the value chain: growers, exporters, importers, sellers, media, and logistics.

“This is, without a doubt, an important day for the global table grape industry. With the formation of this group, we are facing the great challenge of excess supply and stagnant demand,” he said.

“We are going to begin operating in the US, where we already launched the ‘Have a Grape Day campaign so that every consumer in this market consumes a grape every day, thus increasing the benefits to their health. Therefore, education is key to promoting the attributes of this fruit. Today, the invitation is open to all stakeholders to join this exciting challenge that we hope will contribute to the growth of the grape industry.”

Sergio Lugo, executive director of Mexico Table Grapes, commented: “We are very excited about this major official launch event of the GGG. This initiative has been in the works for nearly three years, during which Frutas de Chile, Provid, and Mexico Table Grapes have refined ideas that are now materialising in this official launch.

“The intention is to integrate the entire chain involved in the marketing and production of table grapes. We have been working hard to first achieve the launch of the group and then begin working on the campaign. We witnessed that, during the launch, many people were deeply impressed by the information we presented, so, God willing, we hope that the group’s work will be very beneficial for the entire table grape industry”.

Luis Miguel Vega, general manager of the Peruvian Table Grape Producers Association (Provid), added: “The GGG is an extremely important initiative to strengthen the positioning of table grapes in the markets. That’s what we’re aiming for: to increase table grape consumption, also considering the increase in global supply. This time, we’ve invited various industry players, such as breeders and distributors, and we’re truly inviting different stakeholders to join the GGG initiative”.

Have a Grape Day!

The goal of the campaign, which was launched in March with an initial US$600,000 of funding, is to position table grapes as the ideal snack for everyday moments, highlighting their versatility and healthy attributes.

According to Rodrigo Vallejo and David Farben of Ro2media, the agency that designed the campaign, it has so far generated an additional US$10mn in sales and 1.4kg more in per capita consumption.

For the 2025/26 season, the GGG said it aims to increase its investment to US$3mn to elevate its media presence to more competitive levels.

This new campaign will focus on 25 US states, which together represent 85 per cent of sales, targeting 70mn consumers. It is expected to generate an additional US$250 mn in sales and add 21mn new consumers.

Activities will include high-impact digital billboards in locations like Times Square, as well as potential sports sponsorships with the Women’s Tennis Association, and a strong presence on streaming platforms and at the point of sale.