Important commodities

From soy, corn and beef, to fish, sugar, coffee and cocoa, the region exports some of the world’s most important food commodities For ingredient importers, their provenance can be an important commercial advantage in terms of flavours, nutritional benefits or even the story of a particular ingredient’s production17 The EU-Mercosur trade deal is set to deliver major benefits for Latin American exporters as tariff elimination will make products from Mercosur countries more economically appealing and accessible to EU companies18

Share of world export, avg 2010-2012

70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Bananas Beef Coffee Corn PoultrySoybeans Sugar 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Source: Rabobank, UN Comtrade, FAO ■ South America ■ Mexico & Central America

Eugenia Muinelo from EAS Strategies said that it is expected that the tax for the entry of 99,000 tons of beef (55% of fresh beef and 45% of frozen beef) into the EU will be reduced from 65.9% to 7.5% in five years, for example19

“In addition, a great benefit will be for the wine industry,” she said20 .

Many suppliers of Latin American commodity ingredients like palm oil, coffee and cocoa aim to differentiate themselves from other global suppliers by asserting that they are more sustainable or otherwise superior While Brazil is the world’s biggest supplier of coffee, for instance, Peruvian coffee producers have found a niche in organic-certified and speciality coffees21, and Peru has become the largest supplier of organic coffee to Europe, exporting 44,000 tonnes in 202022

Some of the drive for more sustainable commodity ingredients comes from consumers, but European governments increasingly have been implementing sustainable sourcing policies23 On an EU-wide level, the Farm to Fork Strategy is a cornerstone of the European Green Deal, and aims to make food systems fair, healthy and environmentally friendly24 The EU also has enacted a legal framework to prevent deforestation linked with the production of major commodity ingredients like soy, maize, beef, palm oil, coffee, and cocoa25 The intended result is that ingredient suppliers will ensure more sustainable production so they are not locked out of European trade as the region adopts stricter standards for imports

For palm oil, 30% of total Latin American production is now certified by the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), well ahead of the global RSPO-certified total, which stands at just 19% of production26 In addition, the RSPO says Latin America is the fastest growing region in terms of certification uptake.

Cocoa is another ingredient for which many Latin American suppliers are keen to use origin as a point of differentiation, particularly for its taste profile. The region only accounts for 18% of total global cocoa production, but 80% of what the industry refers to as ‘fine flavour cocoa’27

Jörn Berger, Central American cocoa and chocolate consultant for the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries (CBI), emphasises that there is huge genetic variation in cocoa, which has its origins in Latin America28

“We want to encourage farmers to stick to what they have inherited and recognise that it is worth protecting,” he said. “We also show them that high quality does not mean producing less and that many can access speciality markets with their products. Cocoa farming can have a very positive socioeconomic and environmental impact, so valuing the product and working with the right buyers can make a huge difference for communities.”

He added, “We all enjoy different kinds of chocolate, so offering a variety of flavour profiles is one of Central America’s strengths. It allows each buyer and processor to find their preference for the market they sell their product to.”29