On September 8 and 9, the Organic Food Iberia 2021 Fair will be held at Ifema in Madrid, the largest food event in the Iberian Peninsula aimed at professionals in the organic sector. This fair was born in 2019 and, according to the project director, Susana Andrés Omella, a total of 400 national and international exhibitors participated in its first edition, of which seven were companies from Extremadura. Furthermore, in its first edition, more than 5,300 clients attended.
Due to the health emergency situation caused by the coronavirus, like many of the events where people gather, the Organic Food Iberia Fair could not take place last year, but this year it will be held again and more companies from Extremadura will participate than two years ago. According to Extremadura Avante, in addition to the 49 square meter information stand that they will install, there will be nine exhibitors from the region.
“There was a need in the Iberian Peninsula to launch a professional fair focused on supermarket chain buyers, herbalists, pharmacies… incorporating organic references certified at the European level,” comments the project director.
«Covid affected us in the sense of not being able to see clients face to face»
Among the Extremaduran companies that will attend the event is Komvida, a company that also gives its name to the product itself and, which is actually the Kombucha brand produced by Extremaduran companies Nuria Morales and Beatriz Magro.
Hispania Organic, an exporting company of organic nuts, installed in Don Benito, will also participate in this gastronomic event. Some of their products are: walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts, dried figs, natural pistachios, almonds with chili, with tamari, chocolate… They also import cashews to which they add La Vera paprika or curry.
The Hispania Organic stand will occupy about 30 square meters and the company’s objective is “to make ourselves known more than we are known in Europe and to open the market in Spain,” says Pedro Gómez, director of the company. And, according to this professional, Denmark, Germany and the Nordic countries in general have a more deeply rooted culture regarding the purchase of organic products, something that is not yet sufficiently widespread in Spain.
The pandemic stoppage did not affect Hispania Organic as much as it had a portfolio of clients, but it did affect them in the sense of “not being able to see clients face to face to make contracts, negotiate and close it at that moment” . For Gómez, a video call is not the same as talking to the client in person, which is why now he and his company are happy to “see people again” at the next appointment at Ifema.
Another company that will set up its stand at the Fair will be La Vendita, a company that produces organic aloe vera based in Las Vegas del Guadiana. This company will offer customers its two gastronomic products: aloe vera leaf for food use and aloe vera juice.
The technical director of La Vendita, Eva García Galán, aims to publicize the food use of this product, “because everyone knows its use in cosmetics, but the food use is not so well known,” she comments. Furthermore, according to the director, another objective of this type of fair is “to make many contacts, make our brand known and establish relationships with companies that are interested in marketing.”
La Vendita emerged two years ago, which is why most of the gastronomic fairs they have been able to attend have been ‘online’. But García is hopeful that the company can begin to physically participate in events of this type. To start, they already have an appointment on the 8th and 9th at the Ifema in Madrid.