Company significantly expands its transport and warehousing services with creation of Uniban Logistics
Leading Colombian banana and tropicals company Uniban is sharpening its strategy for Europe, which accounts for 90 per cent of its exports.
It has developed a “go-to-market” model that is more strongly oriented towards retailers and consumers in the EU and UK with the creation of a new Uniban Logistics business unit that integrates port services, logistics, and packaging materials such as cardboard and plastics.
By integrating the company into the state-of-the-art Puerto Antioquia port, which is expected to open at the end of 2025, Uniban Logistics will offer significantly shorter transport times and routes, and thus faster delivery to Europe.
The project has already reached important milestones: the ship-to-shore (STS) cranes have arrived and been installed, and work on the ship is progressing towards a 1,340m-long and 16.5m-deep quay with a berthing line for large-capacity ships. This infrastructure will reduce transit times and cold chain costs to European ports.
“With these strategic steps, Uniban is also serving Colombia’s overarching goal of increasing the country’s competitiveness, reducing logistics costs, and ensuring better access to international markets,” the company said.
Uniban has also developed a roadmap for Europe for its fresh banana brands Turbana and Tropy that emphasizes traceability, sustainability, and Colombian origin throughout the entire value chain.
“Europe rewards origin and transparency. With Turbana and Tropy, we are strengthening our offering with traceability from Colombia, demanding certifications, and a social model that guarantees living wages. Our focus is on building long-term relationships with European retailers and consumers,” said CEO Manuel Laborde.
Turbana has been a Uniban brand since 1970 and is the company’s flagship brand on international markets. The company has built up a wide portfolio of fresh fruit, as well as a value-added business, Turbana Foods.
Tropy is a private label brand of TMA – Tropical Marketing Associated, a subsidiary of Uniban in Belgium. It is marketed in European countries to expand coverage and support the Fullbunch programme, which aims to achieve efficiency, stability, and better monetisation of products of Colombian origin.
Uniban’s European offering is supported by leading certifications including GlobalGAP, Grasp, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade.
“These tools ensure traceability, strengthen European consumer confidence, and bring producers and retailers into line with European due diligence and living wage commitments,” Uniban said.
“It is noteworthy that sector initiatives coordinated by IDH – The Sustainable Trade Initiative have set concrete targets for closing the wage gap in bananas. For example, the Dutch retail working group has set a target of reducing the gap by at least 75 per cent by 2025, while five Belgian retailers aim to close the gap by 2027.”
In coordination with trade unions, associations, and collective bargaining agreements, Uniban said it continues to advocate for fair working conditions. The agreement with the trade unions in Urabá for the period 2023–27 provides for a 14 per cent wage increase. In Magdalena, we continue to work with producers to ensure the comprehensive well-being of banana workers.
In addition, Uniban was recently certified as the first agro-industrial company in Latin America to be ‘Wildlife Friendly’, ensuring that wildlife is protected on its farms and in the surrounding areas.
