Iván Marambio calls strong attention to quality: Chile must improve growing standards
In the latest seminar organized by the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) in Santiago, Chile, keynote speaker and President of industry body Frutas de Chile, Iván Marambio, took the stage to analyze the effects of the global geopolitical crisis on agriculture.
However, following comments from other presenters, took time at the end of his presentation to make a strong call to the country's fruit industry.
Quality is the first, second, and third priority, Marambio says
The executive emphasized the importance of building and protecting Chile's country image, saying that the sector must make a profound change in its production approach, placing quality front and center of its commercial strategy.
"We cannot continue to maintain an image that does not always correspond to reality [...]; we must make the leap in quality if we want to compete seriously," he stated adamantly.
Quality, said the union leader, is the industry’s only way to escape what he called “the middle-income trap” it has been in since 2012.
The call was clear and direct: “We have to go for quality, and we have to present ourselves as a distinct origin.”
With an optimistic outlook, Marambio added that the Chilean fruit industry has tremendous potential, highlighting strengths such as robust infrastructure, premium logistics, and a stellar global reputation.
Seeking an alternative to the Systems Approach
During his presentation, Marambio referred to the repeal of the Systems Approach for Chilean table grape imports into the US. The court ruling was published in September 2025, following a civil lawsuit filed by the California Table Grape Commission against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The executive explained that the trial was scheduled to begin in April, but on March 30, the USDA withdrew its appeal, confirming a District of Columbia court's earlier ruling.
Image courtesy of SAG.
With no recourse left, Marambio said that Frutas de Chile is promoting the creation of a new protocol. His organization, along with the Chilean phytosanitary authority (the Agricultural and Livestock Service of Chile; SAG), is working directly with the US government to reach a solution to hopefully reinstate a fumigation-free protocol for Chilean imports. The first meeting between the two sanitary agencies, he said, took place on April 15.
Marambio announced that Frutas de Chile has scheduled a visit by USDA representatives in August to advance on this front. The executive clarified that, unfortunately, the new regulation would not be ready for the next table grape season, but he was optimistic about a successful resolution.
Finally, the industry leader emphasized that, for the first time in its history, his association contacted the California Table Grape Commission directly to establish a working group.
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