The 'best shrimp in the world', under the scrutiny of North American buyers

Entrepreneurs will learn about the processes that the Ecuadorian crustacean undergoes to live up to international standards.

Ecuadorian shrimp, described by the national industry as 'the best shrimp in the world', is under the scrutiny of more than 20 representatives of supermarket chains and companies.food servicefrom the United States and Canada who are seeking these days to experience first-hand the commitment of Ecuadorian shrimp producers to comply with the highest standards of quality, social and environmental responsibility required by theASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certificationat each stage of the production cycle.

In 2021, Ecuador produced more than2,267 million pounds and exported around 1,855 million pounds, which represented close to $5,078 million. About 406 million pounds were exported to the US alone, resulting in a 56% increase over 2020.

International importers and suppliers came to Ecuador to be part of the Shrimp Seminar, which began on Tuesday, July 12 at the Hilton Colón Hotel in Guayaquil with the aim of showing them how shrimp is grown in Ecuador.

The seminar, which was opened by José Antonio Camposano, president of the National Chamber of Aquaculture (CNA), was organized by the Ecuadorian initiative Sustainable Shrimp Partnership (SSP) together with ASC.

“Ecuadorian producers are definitely proud of their shrimp. "They have demonstrated a great ability to adapt to the needs of the market, but always prioritizing the well-being of consumers and workers, as well as the conservation of the ecosystem," he said. Pamela Nath, SSP Director.

The executive indicated that the American consumer prefers presentations of shrimp with added value, such as headless, peeled and deveined, among others. Ecuador aims to satisfy this demand and for this reason many processing plants are making investments to expand their supply of shrimp for the United States market.

Meanwhile, Camposano pointed out that the buyers already visited a first Ecuadorian establishment on Tuesday and learned about the processes up close, and this Wednesday they will visit a farm with high levels of technology and environmental care.

Regarding the US market, the president of the CNA revealed that in the period from January to June, that is, the first half of 2022, exports to that market grew by 35% compared to the first half of 2021, becoming the second largest market. important after China.

For its part, Peter Redmond, Senior Market Development Manager, ASC North America, highlighted ASC's collaboration with SSP to lead the entire shrimp industry towards sustainability.

“Ecuador's ASC-certified shrimp producers serve as examples of the hard work of ASC standards. Our mission to transform aquaculture towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility is based on creating value throughout the chain, and that starts at the farm,” said Redmond.

He added that by giving North American retailers the opportunity to engage directly with Ecuadorian producers and the ASC-labeled products they are delivering to customers, it opens a clear path to understanding that quality shrimp, raised with care and without antibiotics , offer a number of achievable solutions for businesses and consumers, while maintaining positive impacts on local communities and the environment.

While,Marcos Moya,global outreach leadASC (Global Outreach Leader), assured that the companies invited to the seminar are very influential in the North American market and highlighted that the intention of the ASC is to show that Ecuadorian shrimp is different from that produced in the rest of the world.

Moya highlighted some particularities that distinguish the Ecuadorian crustacean and its industry, such as the work carried out with the environment and the communities surrounding the shrimp farms.

“The existence of the shrimp farms here, which are 40 years old, show that Ecuador has sustainable production,” said the expert, who puts Ecuador as an example compared to other producing countries such as India, Indonesia or Vietnam, which also have the ACS certification, but in much smaller volume than Ecuador, which already has around 40% of its production certified.