From August 27-29 Peru will be the world capital of food. The trade fair Expoalimentaria will open its doors to 2,500 international buyers who will have the opportunity to do business with more than 650 exhibitor companies from Peru and other countries, who will present the best of their offerings.

The Jockey Club Convetion Center in Peru will set the stage for this mega event, organized by ADEX with the invaluable support of Promperú, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (RR.EE.), the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Minagri), the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) and the Ministry of Production (Produce).

It is estimated that the fair will receive more than 35,000 visitors from 62 countries this year, who won't only be touring the fairgrounds but will also participate in specialized conventiones, themed shows, technical talks and other complementary events that have been prepared many months in advance.

A diverse amount of supermarket chains and distributors from different parts of the world have confirmed their presence at the show, including Loblaw Companies Limited (Canada), Isidro de La Cal (Spain), Yosa (Finland), Kibsons International (U.A.E.), Choithrams (U.A.E.), Coastal Sunbelt Produce (U.S.), Fresh Pacific (U.S.), Mercado Latino Inc. (U.S.), Yayla (Turkey), Derstine's (U.S.), Grace (Jamaica), Spar (Spain) and Übelhör (Germany), among others.

Pavilions, meetings and activities

Companies that participate as exhibitors will be based in pavilions according to their category: food and drinks, marine and aquaculture products, packaging, or services and machinery. In addition, the Markets and Trends Convention II will be held, along with the conferences "Packaging Trends for the food sector" and "Branding and Trade Marketing Strategies".

The event will also include a a Business Roundtable, the Innovation Contest V, the Pisco Hall, the Gastronomy Hall, the Hall of Peruvian Coffee and Cacao for the World, the Salon of Aquaculture and Marine Products, and the Tasting Room.

Also highlighted is 'Perú Natura', a pavilion where Peruvian companies - many from the country's interior - will put Peruvian biodiversity on display, including aguaymanto (Cape gooseberries), quinoa, sacha inchi and more, while the Perú Regiones pavillion will allow visitors to appreciate the most representative products of the country. There will also be a program of plant visits in the north for foreign companies to discover fishing and fruit & vegetable routes.

Innovation Contest

The objective is to reward entrepreneurial ingenuity in constantly improving the exportable offering from the region by making it more attractive in international markets. New this year will be the incorporation of a category for packaging within the competition, joined by eight already known parts of the food industry: oils and sauces; drinks; Sweets and Snacks; Canned Fruits and Vegetables; Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals; pasta and flour; fishing; and finally, Quinoa.

Some of the growers who have participated in previous contests are now already in international markets. The company Industrias Alimenticias Cusco S.A. (INCASUR) is currently exporting its Quinoa Flakes product, which was the winner of last year's Quinoa innovation category.

Gastronomy Hall

As gastronomy is an area that helps position Peru's food supply to the world, a Gastronomy Hall will be included in the event where the great quality and variety of ingredients used in Peruvian cuisine will be on display. Prestigious national and foreign chefs will be present, including Pedro Schiaffino (Malabar y ámáZ), Flavio Solórzano (El Señorío de Sulco) and Mitsuharu Tsumura (Maido), among others who will prepare exquisite dishes and desserts using new local products with added value.

On the other hand, international buyers will be able to participate in the event's business roundtable, and through specialty software, will be able to access a detailed database of growers and schedule personalized meetings. The roundtable is a fundamental tool with a differentiating value for the event because it allows business meetings to be arranged based on products of interest. Additionally, it will facilitate interpretation, bank consulting, logistics, tax and certification services within the same physical space.

Regional Presence

Expoalimentaria 2014 will take place over a surface area of 23,400 square meters where regions represented will include the coastal areas of Piura, Ica and Arequipa; and Amazon regions such as San Martín and Ucayali, among many others.

Piura is known for its fishing and agriculture, while companies in Lambayeque and La Libertad will being fruits and vegetabls as part of their offering, both fresh and processed. The regions of Arequipa and Tacna are also growers of onions, as well as oregano for the former and olives for the later.

There will also be country pavilions, including Ecuador with the most extensive, along with India, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Greece, Spain, the United States, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia.

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