[Press Release] SHAFFE Elects New Chilean–Uruguayan Presidency Team

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The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE) held its annual general meeting online on Feb. 4, serving as a starting point for the annual agenda setting of the organization. The assembly has elected Charif Christian Carvajal Ph.D. from the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) to serve as the association’s new president for the 2021–2023 term. The presidency of Chile takes over from the presidency of South Africa, which was held by Anton Kruger, CEO of the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum. The vice-presidency will be taken over by Marta Bentancur, Upefruy representative in Uruguay.

Carvajal currently serves as the director of marketing for Europe, Asia and the Middle East of ASOEX, a non-profit entity whose members represent 96% of the total volume of fresh fruit exported from Chile. Carvajal has more than 20 years of experience in international export promotion in Europe and Asia, sectorial branding and O2O retail channel advertising. Chile, represented through ASOEX, previously held the vice-presidency during the 2019–2021 term, and in his time at ASOEX Carvajal has contributed to shaping the priorities of the association and played an essential role in setting up the upcoming Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress 2021. According to Carvajal, “SHAFFE is a unique organization, providing a platform for all relevant Southern Hemisphere fruit trade players to understand current global trade dynamics and to learn from each other. Together we have a significant knowledge and market experience – that needs to be seen and shared more!” Amongst his priorities will be to position the organization as a turnstile for dialogue and mutual learning between SHAFFE members and Northern Hemisphere traders.

Together with the new presidency team, SHAFFE will now continue to work at high speed toward finalizing the program for the Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress, which will take place online on March 25, 2021. With the defining theme “keeping the world supplied,” this first edition will be dedicated to providing exclusive insights and market intelligence on the current production and trading situation for key temperate fruit crops under pandemic conditions, with contributions from all eight Southern Hemisphere suppliers: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Uruguay and South Africa. Southern Hemisphere exporters account for approximately 11 million tons of exported temperate fruit with a market value of $14 billion, corresponding to nearly one-quarter of the global fruit supply and playing a significant role in the availability of healthy food choices.

According to SHAFFE Secretary General Nelli Hajdu, “The number of registrations since the launch of the congress show to us that there is a need for market intelligence and information from key suppliers of the Southern Hemisphere – and we will do our best to deliver.”

The members and the secretariat of SHAFFE thank the South African presidency and Anton Kruger from the Fresh Produce Exporters’ Forum in South Africa for his dedicated work throughout the last years. South Africa has demonstrated strong leadership during this time of acute crisis management involving increasing barriers to production and trade due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to focusing on sustainability and shaping the organization’s internal transition.

More information regarding the Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress is available via the SHAFFE website.

About SHAFFE

The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters represents exporters from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. For more information please contact Secretary General Nelli Hajdu via shaffe@shaffe.net.

Images: Pixabay (main image), SHAFFE (body image)