The Colombian Corporation of Hass Avocado Producers and Exporters (CorpoHass) announced an alliance with CECODES, seeking to advance the industry’s sustainability agenda.

CECODES is the regional node of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in Colombia. The entity has over 30 years of experience and is led by the presidents of its member companies, which are all part of the main Colombian productive sectors. 

CECODES works collectively to “accelerate the necessary transformations for a more equitable future, positive for nature, with zero net GHG emissions, through transparent management and good corporate governance,” the network’s website states.

CorpoHass Executive Director Katheryn Mejia Vergel said in a statement that the alliance is set to provide great support for positioning Colombian Hass avocados “as a beacon of quality and sustainability in more than 30 markets.”

"Being part of CECODES reaffirms our sector’s commitment to sustainability from a holistic approach across its three dimensions: social, economic, and environmental,” Mejia Vergel added.

Joining the CECODES network will enable CorpoHass to engage with the foremost organizations dedicated to sustainability. Through this collaboration, the sector hopes to implement “knowledge into tangible actions, driving economic growth, environmental conservation, and social progress within the country,” a release said.

"We recognize the leadership of Corpohass as an organization that unites the producers and exporters of Hass avocado,” said CECODES Executive Director Sergio Rengifo Caicedo. “We want to guide them with international business tools adapted to the local context in our Vision 2050 roadmap of Colombia."           

Avocados are currently Colombia’s third most exported fruit and the second-largest source of agricultural revenue for the country. Avocados also hold the fourth position in Colombian agricultural trade with other markets.

This 2023-24 season, around 1,496 tons of Colombian Hass avocados have already been shipped to the U.S., CorpoHass reported, representing a 56% increase year-on-year. 

Additionally, the entity projects a 15% increase in exports this year as the hub enters the “La Traviesa” flowering period