With the Global Trade Symposium at the New York Produce Show and Conference doing a deep dive this year into the Americas, Chile and the broader Latin American sector will be a prime topic of discussion.
Gustavo Yentzen, President of The Yentzen Group, will moderate what promises to be a spirited session!
The focus here will be in presenting and analyzing the main trends affecting the Latin American exports of fruits and vegetables to the US. The format consists of two presentations: the first by Colin Fain, Founder of the statistical analysis company Agronometrics, and the second presentation, by Andrés Rodríguez, Chilean Agricultural Attaché in the US, who will analyze the main consumer trends.
After the presentations, the panel will discuss the meaning and significance of the presentations, including issues such as these:
– Trends in the main commodities coming from Latin America
– Consumer trends affecting some of the main commodities
– Potential effect of political changes in trade and fruit exports from Chile/Peru
– Main opportunities and challenges facing fruit imports from Latin America
The US market increasingly depends on imported produce and Chile and Peru as key sources. One simply can’t understand the future of the industry without understanding the supply base and the issues that are being confronted.
Our all-star panel includes:
Colin Fain
CEO
Agronometrics
Colin Fain was brought up bilingual in Spain before moving to the US when he was young. His professional formation is as diverse as his upbringing, getting his first job as a graphic designer before moving to the more serious world of logistics and purchasing, as a contracting officer for the US Government.
Colin looks to understand the world through the stories hidden in data. His background in quantitative analysis and graphic design has given him a deep appreciation for the utility of aesthetics, which forms an essential component of storytelling and data communication.
He specialized in demand forecasting and supply chain management, graduating Cum Laude at Colorado State University. He lives with his wife and daughter in Mexico City.
Manuel José Alcaino
President
Decofrut
Manuel José Alcaino is an Agonomist, specialized in fruit production. He is the founder of Decofrut, a company that has inspection offices in the main ports on 3 continents and is dedicated to the fruit quality certification.
With more than 38 years in the industry, Alcaino has served in senior management positions in national and international export companies, including as a Research Associate for the Department of Horticulture at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Decofrut has the most experienced department of studies in the Southern Hemisphere, publishing reports on the movements of the fruit markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
Decofrut has positioned itself as the main source of information and market analysis for the fruit export industry in the Southern Hemisphere.
Andres Rodriguez
Chilean Agricultural Attaché
Andres Rodriguez is the current Agricultural Attaché of Chile to the United States and Canada, based in Washington DC.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Diego Portales University (Chile), a Master’s Degree in Marketing from Griffith University (Queensland, Australia), and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business from the University of Chile.
He has extensive experience in agribusiness. After his experience in other industries, he landed to the agriculture when he was appointed as Marketing Manager for the US and Latin America in the Chilean Fresh Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX). Within his background he also was Executive Director of the Chilean Walnut Commission, Executive Director of Chile Prunes, and Representative in Chile of the Produce Marketing Association (PMA). He was also a Board Member and Counselor of the National Society of Agriculture (SNA) and was a member of the Food Export Council.
Bill Weyland
International Executive
Tom Lange/Seven Seas
Bill Weyland an International Executive with over 30 years of import and fob sales experience. Bill currently is Vice President Imports for Seven Seas Fruit Company a division of the Tom Lange Company
Bill is a graduate of the United Fresh Leadership Program Class 11 and holds a MBA in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickinson University
Currently Bill is working with growers and exporters in 9 countries.
David Espinoza
Founder
International Fruit Company
David is a Chilean – American citizen, with 30 plus years of experience on Import and Export of fresh fruit, mainly deciduous group. He is highly motivated on development for new markets and outlets for fresh fruit.
He is passionate about sustainability, logistics and the adaptation to a new age for agriculture business/trading worldwide. His background on agronomist and corporate business management are part of the reason why he enjoys his endeavor on the fresh fruit industry.
David is based in Delano CA at Hronis. Inc., where he enjoys being at first touch with growing fresh grapes and citrus.
Gustavo Yentzen
Founder
Yentzen Group
An entrepreneur and leader in innovation in the agricultural industry. In 2006, he started his own media business Yentzen Group. In 2008, he launched Portalfruticola.com, a trade industry web portal that features relevant news about the global horticultural industry and serves an indispensable tool for Spanish-speaking growers and exporters. Currently it is the most visited site in the Latin American produce industry.
In 2010 he launched Freshfruitportal.com, the first English-language site dedicated to covering the produce industry from a Southern Hemisphere point of view, bringing together a team of professionals who strive to keep readers informed about the ever-changing world of the export fruit industry in the main growing nations of the Southern Hemisphere; from New Zealand’s kiwifruit, Chilean cherries, Brazilian grapes, Peruvian avocados, South African plums to Australian citrus. The website also has a strong focus on market information relevant to these exporters, including demand trends, competitive issues, quarantine changes, logistics and infrastructure.
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Come to the Global Trade Symposium on Tuesday, December 14th and engage in this important discussion. Then, after the day’s programming, join us at the Opening Reception for The New York Produce Show and Conference.
There are political issues rumbling like there haven’t been for years. The rise of Peru and Colombia raise new issues, and changes toward proprietary varieties and the development of the avocado industry in Colombia now all raise new questions.
Come find the answers and be part of the process that moves the industry to new success. Come to the Global Trade Symposium at the New York Produce Show and Conference.
If you are already registered and want to add the Global Trade Symposium to your program, just let us know here.
You can register for the whole event at this link.
If you would like a hotel room in the headquarters Hilton Hotel, where the Global Trade Symposium and the Opening Reception both take place, just let us know here.
