This is the place to be if you are an importer, distributor, supermarket, retailer or industry in the EU. We are CREA: Facilitating Trade from Ecuador to the EU.
Our services come for free:
CREA – Camino a la Reactivación del Ecuador Agroalimentario - is an initiative that is co-financed by the European Union. We promote raw materials and value-added products from 8 chains: avocado, banana, plantain, cocoa, coffee, guayusa, soursop and quinoa.
Get in touch with Miguel at our Belgian office at Rikolto in Leuven. He'll guide you through the whole process.
Time to source better... think Ecuador!
Contact Luis at our Ecuadorian office at Rikolto in Quito for more details on the supply chains.
Ecuador is the main producer of fine aroma cacao. It also holds the record for the oldest use of cocoa beans in a heated drink, dating back 5,300 years to the Mayo-Chinchipe Marañón culture. Discover the different varieties and alternatives of the finest flavoured cocoa. And YES, our project is working with farmers to comply with the EU’s latest regulations on deforestation!
Available in conventional and certified organic, Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance.
From the Andes to the Amazon to the Coast, the aroma and flavour of Ecuadorian coffee will take you to every region where men and women grow it. All you have to do is choose your favourite! Our project is working with farmers to be prepared to meet the latest EU regulations on deforestation.
Available in conventional and certified organic and Fairtrade.
Ecuador is the world’s largest exporter of fresh bananas. To reduce food waste, and thanks to the versatility of this fruit, several value-added products have been developed. Discover our gluten-free flours, purées, bakery mixes, aseptic products for making baby foods, juices and more.
Available in conventional and certified organic, Fairtrade and Demeter.
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Plantain chips are so underrated. But they are the perfect choice for a party to go with a beer! But wait, there is much more: it is an important source of fibre and a base for making gluten-free flour, dough and delicious dishes.
Available in conventional and certified organic, Fairtrade and Demeter.
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A trendy superfood for main courses around the world, the avocado continues to conquer the world. Ecuador has the ideal conditions in which to expand this production. Our project helps farmers to measure and reduce their water footprint. This will enable farmers to produce more sustainably.
For centuries, indigenous communities in Ecuador have consumed this native plant of the Amazon rainforest for its energising and healing properties. Guayusa is part of the agroforestry tradition of the Kichwa people of Ecuador.
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Novel food authorised so far as an aqueous extract.
Available in conventional and certified organic and Fairtrade.
This tropical fruit’s exquisite and refreshing taste should not be reserved for a select few. We invite you to discover it and taste its tropical flavour. It will enhance your cocktails, juices, ice creams and much more!
A delicious ally in the fight against food insecurity, this gluten-free, nutritious grain has been consumed for millennia by indigenous communities throughout the Andes Mountains, following ancestral traditions and know-how. Curious fact: quinoa has even been the food of choice for astronauts!
Available in conventional and certified organic and Fairtrade.
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CREA – Camino a la Reactivación del Ecuador Agroalimentario - promotes strategies to strengthen and improve the competitiveness and innovation of MSMEs and producer organisations to open markets for sustainable products in Europe in eight priority chains: avocado, coffee, cocoa, banana, guayusa, green banana, soursop and quinoa.
The project promotes the socioeconomic recovery of the agrifood sector, in particular of MSMEs and producer organisations, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups, in particular women, young people and people in situation of human mobility.
CREA is implemented by Rikolto in a consortium with ANFAB (Association of Food and Beverage Producers), COSPE (NGO), KU Leuven and ESPOL (Universities in Belgium and Ecuador respectively). It aims to bring together supply and demand for sustainable products.
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