New Chilean-Uruguayan presidency team for the term 2021-23

SHAFFE, The Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporter, has held its Annual GeneralMeeting at the 4th of February 2021 online that has served as a starting point for the annual agendasetting of the organisation. The assembly has elected Mr. Charif Christian Carvajal M. (PhD) from theChilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) as new president for the term 2021-23. The presidencyof Chile takes over from the presidency of South Africa, that was held by Mr. Anton Kruger (CEO,Fresh Produce Exporter Forum – FPEF). The vice-presidency will be taken over by Ms. MartaBetancur, Upefruy representative in Uruguay.

Mr. Charif Christian Carvajal M. is the Director of Marketing for Europe, Asia and Middle East of theChilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX), a non-profit entity whose members represent 90% of the total volume of fresh fruit exported from Chile. Mr. Carvajal has more than 20 years of experience in international export promotion in Europe and Asia, sectorial branding and O2O retail channeladvertising. Chile, represented through ASOEX held the vice-presidency throughout the term 2019-2021, and as part of ASOEX, Mr. Carvajal has contributed to shaping the priorities in the associationand played an essential role in setting up the upcoming “Southern Hemipshere Fresh Fruit TradeCongress 2021”. He underlines, that: “SHAFFE is unique organisation, providing a platform of allrelevant Southern Hemisphere fruit trade players, to understand current global trade dynamics and tolearn from each other. Together we have a significant knowledge and market experience – that needsto be seen and shared more!”. Amongst his priorities will be, to position the organisation as turnstilefor dialogue and mutual learning between SHAFFE members and Northern Hemisphere traders.

Together with the new presidency team, SHAFFE will now continue, to work with high speed towardsthe finalisation of the program for the “Southern Hemisphere Fresh Fruit Trade Congress”, which willtake place online at the 25th of March 2021. With the defining theme “Keeping the world supplied”,this first edition will be dedicated to give exclusive insights and market intelligence on the currentproduction & trading situation for key temperate fruit crop under pandemic conditions withcontributions from all eight Southern Hemisphere suppliers: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, NewZealand, Peru, Uruguay and South Africa. Southern Hemisphere exporters contribute with 11 millionT of exported temperate fruit with a market value of $ 14 billion USD to nearly ¼ of global fruitsupply and play a significant role to the availability of healthy food choices.According to SHAFFE Secretary General Nelli Hajdu. “The number of registrations since the launch ofthe congress show to us, that there is need for market intelligence and information from key suppliersof the Southern Hemisphere – and we will do our best, to deliver.”The members and the secretariat of SHAFFE thank the South African presidency and Mr. Anton Kruger from the Fresh Produce Exporter Forum, South Africa for his dedicated work throughout the last years.

South Africa has been showing strong leadership during the acute crisis management when increasing barriers to production and trade appeared through the Covid-19 pandemic and have next to the attention to sustainability matters, also shaped the organisations internal transition.

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