Corporación Favorita’s “Productores de Valor” program has expanded its reach across 23 provinces in Ecuador, aiming to support rural agricultural communities through training and market access. Launched in 2019, the initiative has provided more than 10,000 farmers with training in management, leadership, sustainable farming practices, quality control, logistics, supply chain management, and pricing structures. The company states that these efforts are designed to help formalize producers and integrate them into larger supply chains.
By 2024, over 200 producers had been certified as suppliers for Corporación Favorita. The program enables participants to enter new markets and improve their incomes while adopting sustainable agriculture techniques.
Daniel Pozo, deputy commercial manager of FRUVER at Corporación Favorita, said: “Productores de Valor has been a bridge between small producers and large value chains. We seek to transform the lives of farmers not only through better incomes but also by giving them the tools to project themselves towards a stronger and more sustainable agricultural future.”
In July 2024, the program marked an important milestone with the opening of its fifth collection center in Santo Domingo de Los Colorados. This facility is intended to incorporate more farmers into Corporación Favorita’s logistics network and ensure fresh produce reaches supermarket consumers.
One beneficiary of the program, Daniel Pérez, described his experience: “After the pandemic, together with my mother we started a cherry tomato planting venture. We started with a greenhouse of one thousand meters and began supplying directly to the market. With perseverance we managed to be qualified as suppliers of Corporación Favorita and now we have a greenhouse area of about 7 thousand meters of infrastructure and generate employment for eight people. Corporación Favorita has helped us a lot to improve every aspect of our work.”
The program removes intermediaries from the supply chain, which allows farmers greater financial inclusion and improved economic conditions. It also provides ongoing training focused on business management and personal development.
Looking ahead, Productores de Valor plans to increase direct purchases from small- and medium-sized producers so that by 2026 at least 75% of fruits and vegetables come from these sources. The program also aims to train an additional 1,200 producers and certify 700 new products within this timeframe. New collection centers in provinces such as Imbabura, Manabí, Chimborazo, Loja—and now Santo Domingo—are intended to support these goals by streamlining distribution processes while maintaining product quality standards.
According to Corporación Favorita representatives, Productores de Valor seeks not only to enhance economic conditions for Ecuadorian farmers but also foster long-term sustainability in the country’s agricultural sector.
