Some 19 firms from countries such as Egypt, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Iran, Guatemala, Kenya and Vietnam were supported at Fruit Logistica on the stand of the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI), part of the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs.
Programme manager Peter van Gilst said: “We are responsible for all international development programmes, to contribute to the eradication of poverty.
“CBI assists selected developing countries in increasing their exports to the EU. We do that via two target groups in the countries - one, to potential export companies and two, via the local institutions that support export promotions.
“We have an export coaching programme to coach companies into the market and that is organised on a sector basis. We deal with 25 different sectors, one of which is fruit and vegetables - this is the second-biggest sector we deal with, after tourism.”
The CBI programme launched in 2008 and will continue until 2014. “The objective is that the companies have to do business in Europe,” said Van Gilst. “Companies can apply to participate in the programme and they have to be motivated and interested. We do an anlysis and look at the companies’ potential on paper. If we think they have potential, we send someone to do an on-the-spot audit and then compile an action plan for them to see where they can compete in the European market. But we don’t take them to the market unless they are ready.
“Here in Berlin, the companies might make a lot of contacts, but they then have to select the right ones to do business with. Each company can come to Berlin with us three times, and then we hope that our results are good enough for them to take their own stand after that.”
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