Pro Mexico - ProMéxico

Transcription

Business Tips
Mexican Agri-food
Industry: An Ideal
Business Meal
The Lifestyle
Feature
Mexico Gets
the Grass Growing
Negocios
para
exportadores
VI - 2013
Table of Contents June 2013
14
16
18
46
Guest Opinion
Mexican Agriculture:
A Paradise of Opportunities
Mexico in the World
Business Tips
Figures
Food Market Trends:
An Overview
of North America
Mexican Agri-food Industry:
An Ideal Business Meal
There Are many ways
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Published monthly.
Distributed among business people,
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COVER FEATURE
courtesy of 3d robotics
Mexican
Agro-industry:
Supplying Food
to the World
archive
photo
22
Close to 10,000 copies out of 15,000 are
distributed abroad through a network
of 36 representative offices located in
23 countries in the Americas, Asia,
Europe and the Middle East; all Mexican
embassies and consulates and at
international trade shows and expos.
Geographic distribution covers a wide
spectrum of key countries and cities,
which guarantees a strategic coverage
in the world’s leading markets.
Mexico’s Partner
26 Catoex
28 La Huerta
30 Amell Bioactivos
32 Eco Agri Tec
34 Sí o Sí
photo
36 Naturkost de México
7
From
ProMéxico
12
40 Frucasa
42 Amb Wellness
44 Tecnofruit
Special Report
3D Robotics: Droning
On and On in Mexico
38 Grupo Versa
8
Briefs
negocios.promexico.gob.mx
[email protected]
The Lifestyle
courtesy of daniela villegas
photo
The
Lifestyle
Briefs
52
London MexFest
Mexico Gets Creative in
London
photo
ian dolphin
50
courtesy london mexfest
The Complete Guide
to the Mexican Way of Life
57
“I try to make
jewelry with
a sense of fun”
Mexico Gets
the Grass Growing
courtesy of el pacífico punta de mita
54
photo
photo
courtesy of benito molina
photo
Interview with Mexican
designer Daniela Villegas
Mezcal,
Fire on the Tip
of Everyone’s Tongue
archive
Mexican Chefs, Whetting
the World’s Appetite
62
photo
64
Para exportadores
ProMéxico
Francisco González Díaz
CEO
Karla Mawcinitt Bueno
Image and Communications
General Coordinator
Sebastián Escalante
Director of Publications and Content
[email protected]
Advertising
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Natalia Herrero
Copy Editing
Download the PDF version and read
the interactive edition of Negocios
ProMéxico at: negocios.promexico.gob.mx
78
This publication is not for sale.
Its sale and commercial distribution are
forbidden.
foto archivo
La importancia
de la
biotecnología
alimentaria
en México
70
breves
archivo
México:
fotos
From
proméxico.
Una cosecha
de escala global
72
Tendencias del mercado
de alimentos:
74
El panorama estadounidense
Japón:
Una alternativa
para la exportación de
agro productos mexicanos
76
Negocios ProMéxico es
una publicación mensual
editada en inglés por ProMéxico, Camino a Santa
Teresa número 1679, colonia Jardines del Pedregal,
Delegación Álvaro Obregón, C.P. 01900, México, D.F. Teléfono: (52) 55 54477000. Página Web:
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Escalante Bañuelos. Reserva de derechos al uso exclusivo No. 04-2009012714564800-102. Licitud de título:
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Negocios ProMéxico año 6, número VI,
junio 2013, se terminó de imprimir el
14 de junio de 2013, con un tiraje de
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Although this magazine verifies all the
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any omissions, inaccuracies or mistakes.
June 2013.
Only a handful of countries
can claim to have the variety of foods and agricultural
products that abound in
Mexico. Thanks to Mexico’s
climate diversity, it can produce fresh vegetables almost all year round as well as copious amounts of some of the world’s most
coveted fruits and vegetables.
Adding to the benefits of its geographic
location, Mexico’s long agricultural tradition is the basis of a modern industry that
not only produces foods, but processes and
adapts them to satisfy the needs and tastes of
specific consumer niches around the globe.
Today, Mexico’s flavors can be enjoyed
anywhere in the globe, meeting the most
demanding quality and health standards.
From natural and fresh, to those that
might seem plucked from a science fiction
movie but are filled with flavor and benefits, food made in Mexico offers consumers the quality guarantees they have come
to seek in everything they consume.
Mexico’s agro-industry is constantly innovating; every day new solutions
emerge to satisfy consumer needs worldwide, which strengthens Mexico’s presence on the shelves of international
markets. This, added to the increasing
demand for food throughout the world,
fuels the belief that Mexico will maintain
its position as a major player in the global
agri-food industry.
Welcome to Negocios!
Francisco González Díaz
CEO
ProMéxico
BRIEFS
BRIEFS
FOOD
BUSINESS
WITH WHITE
AND YOLK
AUTOMOTIVE
Honda Raises
its Bet on Mexico
Ready,
Set, Go!
German luxury automaker Audi started
construction of its first
manufacturing plant in
Mexico.
The 1.2 billion usd
facility in the state of
Puebla is planned to
produce luxury sport
utility vehicles.
FOOD
California-style
Business
www.audi.com
CONSTRUCTION
structural
Strengthening
www.holcim.com.mx
Mexican franchise operator
Alsea will invest approximately 50 million usd to
open 50 new California Pizza
Kitchen restaurants in Mex-
METALLURGICAL
photo courtesy of holcim apasco
Holcim Apasco, the Mexican subsidiary of Swiss
cement giant Holcim, will
invest approximately 40
million usd to upgrade
assets in Mexico in 2013.
Resources are earmarked
for replacing plant equipment and improving systems to increase competitiveness.
corporate.honda.com
photo courtesy of sintermetal
www.tornel.com.mx
photo courtesy of nissan
GETTING READY
TO ROLL
Indian tire manufacturer
JK Tyre & Industries Ltd
plans an investment of
25 million usd over the
coming year to expand
production at its Mexican
subsidiary Tornel.
photo courtesy of honda
AUTOMOTIVE
SHAPED
EXPANSION
Sintermetal, a business unit
of Germany’s Schunk Group,
plans investment of 6 million
usd to expand capacity at its
sintering plant in Estado de
México. The facility produces
highly complex sintered parts
for the manufacture of rotors
for oil pumps and variable
valve timing systems.
www.schunk-group.com
ico over the next five years.
Alsea operates casual dining
locations of brands including
Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza
and Burger King, among others, in the country.
www.alsea.com.mx
photo courtesy of california pizza kitchen
photo archive
bonovo.com.mx
AUTOMOTIVE
Japanese automaker Honda
will build an additional manufacturing plant to produce
transmissions on the site of its
vehicle plant currently under
construction in Celaya, Guanajuato. Production at the 470
million usd transmission facility is planned to serve both domestic and overseas demand.
It will open during the second
half of 2015 and will be able
to make as many as 700,000
continuously variable transmissions a year.
photo archive
Bonovo opened a liquid and dehydrated
egg plant in Tehuacán,
in the state of Puebla,
assigning capital of
approximately 6.5
million usd.
BRIEFS
BRIEFS
AUTOMOTIVE
BOSCH TAKES
ROOT IN MEXICO
www.daidometal.com
AUTOMOTIVE
www.bosch.com
chihuahua,
home for size
AUTOMOTIVE
MANUFACTURING
www.lear.com
Molding
the Future
www.sonoco.com
PHARMACEUTICAL
investing
in health
photo archive
US based plastics producer
Sonoco Products is building
a new manufacturing facility
in the state of Guanajuato.
The 10.5 million usd plant
will produce molded foam
products for industries such
as automotive, aerospace,
medical and appliance manufacturing.
photo courtesy of lear corp.
US automotive components
manufacturer Lear Corp.
inaugurated a new production facility in the northern
border city of Ciudad Juárez,
Chihuahua. The 22 million usd plant will produce
electrical harnesses for auto
OEM Chevrolet.
US trailer maker Heil Trailer
International will invest approximately 12 million usd
to establish a new manufacturing plant in the state
of Chihuahua. The facility
is planned to produce aluminum tank trailers for the
transport of liquids.
photo archive
photo courtesy of sonoco products
lear’s brand
new facility
www.heiltrailer.com
METALLURGICAL
frisa keeps
growing
Mexican pharmaceutical group Neolpharma
will build a new plant to produce biotechnological medication. The 29 million-usd facility
in Mexico City is planned to include a research
center in biotechnology and nanotechnology.
Mexican heavy industrial manufacturer Frisa inaugurated a new production plant at its existing site near the
city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. The
80 million usd open-die forging plant
is planned to produce large industrial
pieces such as steel laminating rollers and oil well blocks, the company
reported.
www.neolpharma.com
www.frisa.com
photo courtesy of frisa
photo courtesy of bosch
German auto parts
maker Robert Bosch
plans investment of 150
million usd in Mexico
in 2013. Projects include installation of
new production lines
and systems upgrades
to existing lines at the
company’s eight manufacturing sites in the
country.
Japanese metal forming firm Daido Metal
Corp. inaugurated a
new manufacturing
plant in the state of
Jalisco. The 50 million
usd facility will produce automotive bearings utilizing barrel
plating processes.
photo archive
Daido Begins
Operations
AUTOMOTIVE
Negocios ProMéxico | Special Report
photos
3D Robotics:
Droning On and
On in Mexico
Chris Anderson is the CEO of 3D Robotics and founder
of DIY Drones. From 2001 to 2012 he was the Editor in
Chief of Wired magazine. Before Wired, he was with The
Economist for seven years in London, Hong Kong and New
York in various positions, ranging from Technology Editor
to US Business Editor. Chris is the author of the New York
Times bestselling books The Long Tail and Free as well as
Makers: The New Industrial Revolution. In 2007, he made
the “Time 100” list, the newsmagazine’s compilation of the
100 most influential men and women in the world.
by graeme stewart
Chris Anderson admits he
has been blown away by the
skill, expertise and sheer hard
work of his Mexican employees at 3D Robotics’ Tijuana
factory and was delighted
to announce that moves are
afoot to double the number
of workers in a brand new
12
14,000 square-feet facility in
the border city.
The affable Californian,
co-founder and CEO of 3D
Robotics, can’t praise his
Mexican employees highly
enough. They are, he says
proudly, “incredible people;
so talented, skilled and hard
“There is an amazing
pool of labor in Mexico,
especially in electronics
engineering. I can’t
find a group of such
highly-skilled engineers
anywhere else in North
America.”
—Chris Anderson,
co-founder and CEO
of 3D Robotics
courtesy of 3d robotics
Special Report | Negocios ProMéxico
working. There is an amazing pool of labor in Mexico,
especially in electronics engineering. I can’t find a group
of such highly-skilled engineers anywhere else in North
America.”
And the hard work of the
Mexican employees is being
rewarded by plans to double
the workforce in Tijuana from
27 to 54, ensuring production
and employment at the new
factory for years to come.
The fruits of their labor
are drones: not the military
ones that scan the skies over
the world’s hot spots but
much smaller, camera-carrying “aircraft”, unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used on
a more commercial scale.
Anderson explains: “Basically, our drones are just
cameras in the sky. They can
be used mainly in agriculture
for crop surveys but can also
be destined for search and
rescue, although we are not
focusing on that right now.
They are manufactured at our
plant in San Diego and another in Tijuana where we have
been extremely impressed by
our employees. Mexico is one
of the few places in North
America where they still make
electronic goods; almost all
other electronics production
has been transferred to China.
Tijuana has proved to be the
ideal location for our 3D Robotics factory, especially as it
is so close to San Diego where
we have our headquarters and
another operating factory.”
He has also been pleasantly surprised by the welcome and offers of assistance
from the Baja California and
Mexican governments, even
if those proposals have been
politely refused. “As it happens, we don’t need much
support,” Anderson says. “But
if we ever do, then we know
where to get it. We have had
no problems whatsoever,” he
continues.
June 2013
Anderson, 51, co-founded
3D Robotics, a robotic
manufacturing company that
specializes in Do it yourself
(DIY) projects, in 2009 with
Jordi Muñoz, another selfconfessed “geek” who saw
the possibilities of drones in
a commercial market. They
joined forces and, eventually,
Anderson left his day job
June 2013
as editor in chief of Wired
magazine to oversee the
managerial side of 3D Robotics, using his experience and
contacts to attract investors
and nurture the fledgling
company.
He has been successful
as only three months ago he
was able to announce that
3D Robotics had received
a round of venture capital
funding from Jon Callaghan
at True Ventures and Bryce
Roberts of O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures that is now
enabling the company to
expand in Tijuana.
“The good news is that
the skills are there in Mexico,” Anderson enthuses. “We
know we can hire 50 plus
talented employees in Tijuana.
You get great value for money
south of the border and more
companies like mine are coming to Mexico, Tijuana in
particular, because it offers
viable options to China. The
cost of labor is similar to that
in China but Mexico offers
the opportunity for speed.
That makes all the difference,
having our factory so close
to our headquarters. We can
get things done much quicker
than if we were dealing with a
factory in China.”
Anderson remembers his
journey towards 3D Robotics
began some five years ago.
“I started down the road five
years ago, beginning with
projects with my kids and
then going down the rabbit
hole of open source electronics, robotics and eventually
drones, with the community
site I set up, DIYDrones.
com. That led to the creation
of a company, 3D Robotics,
with Jordi Muñoz, who I had
met online at DIY Drones,
to make some of the technologies that the DIYDrones
community was creating.”
With Anderson and Muñoz’s drive, ambition and
vision allied to Mexican electronics engineering knowhow, the sky is the limit for
3D Robotics. N
3drobotics.com
13
Negocios ProMéxico | Guest Opinion
Guest Opinion | Negocios ProMéxico
photo archive
Mexican
Agriculture:
A Paradise of
Opportunities
Michoacán is one of Mexico’s top
agricultural producers. It ranks
first in perennial production and
in 2011 the state’s output reached
a value of 1.089 billion usd, which
accounted for 7.1% of the national
total, according to the Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural
Development, Fisheries and Food
(SAGARPA).
Since the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came
into force, Mexico’s agricultural
industry has undergone an extremely
interesting transformation that has
taken it from an economy with
domestically consumed agricultural
products, to one with a free market
where agricultural goods are
exported globally on a regular basis.
by hugo javier chagoyán*
Mexico is currently one of the most open
economies in the world, boasting a large
number of free trade and bilateral agreements. That openness has resulted in an
increase in agri-food exports, which have
gone from 8.2 billion usd in 2002 to 22.5
billion usd in 2012, with a compound
annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.6%
between 2002 and 2012. That figure is
proof of the huge penetration and acceptance that Mexico’s agricultural products
have had in international markets, particularly exports to its NAFTA trade partners, the US and Canada, and to countries
in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Furthermore, in terms of costs, Mexico is the fourth most attractive country
for investment in the agri-food sector, according to the “Competitive Alternatives
2012” study by consulting firm KPMG.
That fruitful cost advantage has strengthened Mexico’s position as an agro-industry investment destination with several investment incentives and accessible,
high-quality inputs for the manufacture
of products.
Said commercial success has also
brought about more challenges for Mexican producers, who must continue to
improve their cultivation processes and
increase the quality of their products to
compete internationally. With that goal
14
in mind, Mexico has created what are
known as product systems, which are
simply “the set of concurring elements
and agents of the production processes of
agricultural products, including the supply of technical equipment, inputs and
services for primary production, storing,
transformation, distribution and marketing.” In that sense, the success or failure
of Mexican agricultural products depends
largely on the appropriate coordination
of all the players involved in the supply
chain. Thus, the creation of product systems is aimed precisely at enhancing agricultural production processes not only
from a producer’s perspective but also
providing an integrated approach that
improves the processes of everyone involved in the supply chain.
There are several agricultural product
systems in Mexico, such as agave, Hass
avocado, lime, rice, cocoa, guava, lemon,
June 2013
corn, mango, cantaloupe, potato, banana
and papaya, among others. These systems
have been created to comprehensively address the issues of the members of each
crop’s supply chain and jointly strengthen
the efforts of those involved in production chains to improve processes, technification and the supply of improved products to demanding international markets.
Michoacán is one of Mexico’s top agricultural producers. It ranks first in pe-
June 2013
rennial production and in 2011 the state’s
output reached a value of 1.089 billion
usd, which accounted for 7.1% of the
national total, according to the Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA). A
large part of Michoacán’s produce is sent
to the global market to supply customers
in the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.
The state is internationally renowned for
its production of blackberry, guava, lentil,
cucumber, pear, lime, grapefruit, strawberry, peach, plum, coconut and its leading product, avocado, with an export
value of 53 million usd.
There are approximately 7,312 companies in Michoacán that transform
agricultural products, of which 16 are
the leaders in frozen, dehydrated and
lyophilized fruits and vegetables as well
as fruit and vegetable pulp, among other
goods. These leaders are mainly multinationals with foreign equity and subsidiaries in various countries in North
America, Europe and Asia. Some of the
industrial plants established in the state
are Calavo de México, S.A. de C.V. (avocado processing), Agrana Fruit México
(berries and mango processing), Profusa (berries, mango and lime processing) and Simplot (avocado processing),
among many other.
The outstanding success of Michoacán’s avocado in the international market is based not only on its remarkable
quality and nutritional properties but
also due to its solid supply chain. For
instance, the Association of Exporting Producers and Packagers of Mexico (APEAM) is a clear example of the
product systems of Mexican agriculture
that strengthen the competitive position
of the country’s crops and enable it to
increase its exports year after year and
introduce new products to new markets.
To sum up, Mexican agriculture has
an incredible growth potential and is a
strategic industry for international investors seeking to boost their profits in an
overtly healthy industry. N
*Promotion Director, Secretariat of
Economic Development (SEDECO),
Michoacán.
15
Negocios ProMéxico | Mexico in the World
Mexico in the World | Negocios ProMéxico
photo archive
value. In addition, drinks must be limited to 12 ounces (355ml) in middle and
high-schools and 8 ounces (236ml) in
elementary schools. Consequently, the
sale of candies, foods or beverages that
exceed these amounts is forbidden at certain educational levels.
Commercial opportunities will be
found in foods such as yogurts, popsicles and drinks with 100% natural fruit
juices, whole wheat breads, cereal bars,
dried fruits, baked snacks and plain and/
or flavored sugar-free water.
Food Market Trends:
An Overview of North America
In 2012, the US imported 17.6
million usd in fresh and processed
foods from Mexico. The main
categories were fresh vegetables, 4.4
million usd, fresh fruit (excluding
bananas), 3.2 million usd, wine and
beer, 1.8 million usd, and sweets
including chocolate, 1 million usd,
according to data furnished by the
Global Trade Atlas (GTA).
Changes in consumer habits have affected the supply of fresh and processed
food in the US. The North American
market is a wonderful platform of opportunities for businesses that are willing
to adapt to the new regulations and offer
nutritional, natural and organic products
that meet the strict quality standards required to enter into the world’s leading
consumer market. N
*First secretary, ProMéxico Office in Dallas,
Texas.
In the last decade, global trade, particularly in the food sector, has been
affected by events such as price fluctuations, subsidies, exchange rate
movements, economic agreements and changes in consumer incomes and
habits which have forced countries to look for alternatives to satisfy the
population’s consumption needs.
by diana i. castañeda*
Currently, US consumers demand a wide
variety of high quality food, boosting the
import of products that are not produced
domestically. According to estimates by
IHS Global Insight, US imports of agricultural products will reach 41.2 billion
usd in 2013, exceeding the 41.5 billion
forecasted for 2012.
In 2012, the four leading fresh vegetable suppliers to the US were Mexico,
Canada, China and Peru. Mexico was the
leading exporter, providing 60% of fresh
vegetables consumed on the US market.
In 2012, the US imported 17.6 million usd in fresh and processed foods
from Mexico. The main categories were
fresh vegetables, 4.4 million usd, fresh
fruit (excluding bananas), 3.2 million
usd, wine and beer, 1.8 million usd, and
sweets including chocolate, 1 million
usd, according to data furnished by the
Global Trade Atlas (GTA).
That same year, in the fresh vegetables category, Mexico exported 85% of
tomatoes and 67% of eggplants, asparagus, celery and artichokes, among other
vegetables demanded by the US market,
which represent areas of opportunity for
Mexican producers. The fast food sector
16
is another niche of opportunity that Mexican companies must leverage to export.
Frozen potatoes, used to prepare
French fries, are the third most imported
vegetable in the US and accounted for
11% of total vegetable imports in 2012.
It is worth noting that Mexico is the primary supplier of potatoes to the US.
The value of US imports of fresh
and processed fruits and vegetables underlines their importance in the diet of
American families. In 2012, US imports
of processed fruits and vegetables, including all kinds of juice, except wine,
reached 6.7 million usd or 6% of total
imports of fresh and processed foods.
The Global Outlook
and Food Trends
While food prices globally fell by 7% in
2012, according to estimates by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), they will continue an upward trend in 2013. Price falls recorded
at the end of 2012 derived from the weak
behavior of the global economic activity.
Climate factors, such as droughts,
will affect food supply worldwide, making import activities an alternative op-
tion to guarantee local supply. Mexico
is the second largest food seller to the
US, after Canada. The US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) in its “Outlook for
US Agricultural Trade 2012” reveals that
fresh and processed fruits, vegetables,
wines, sugar, coffee, cattle, grains and
seeds will be the products with the largest share in US food imports in 2013.
According to projections from the
aforementioned study, in 2013, cattle and
dairy imports in the US will exceed 900
million usd. The trend will be to consume
lean meats that are free of hormones and
preservatives. Finally, preferences in the
US market for the processed food sector
will lean towards foods with little or no
calories, fat, sodium, sugar, preservatives,
coloring, flavoring and Monosodium glutamate (msg), with natural and preferably organic ingredients.
An example of these trends can already be seen in the new USDA regulations to be implemented in public
schools. According to these rules, snacks
sold in cafeterias, vending machines and
stores inside educational institutions,
must contain fewer than 200 calories
and contribute with a specific nutritional
June 2013
June 2013
17
Negocios ProMéxico | Business Tips
Mexican Agri-food Industry:
An Ideal Business Meal
Mexico has significant comparative and competitive advantages over other
nations in the agri-food sector. The country’s participation in the international trade of fresh and processed food is considerable and increasing. Some
regions in Mexico, where natural resources are plentiful, offer interesting
opportunities for agri-food businesses.
18
Business Tips | Negocios ProMéxico
photo archive
by maría cristina rosas*
The United Nations’ (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is aware of the
fact that the demand for food and agricultural products is undergoing unprecedented
changes. The growing per capita income,
urbanization and number of women in labor markets have increased the need for
high-value commodities and processed and
prepared foods. Evidently, this involves a
change in societies’ eating habits, which
poses significant challenges, particularly
in the health arena. There is a trend, then,
that favors the consumption of more animal
products, such as fish, meat and dairy, which
in turn creates a need for more feed grain.
No less important is the growing use
of agricultural products, particularly grains
and oil seeds, once intended for human and
animal consumption, as raw materials for
the production of bioenergy. There are factors that prompt these significant transformations in the global agri-food sector, namely international trade and communications,
which accelerate changes in demand and increasingly lead to the convergence of dietary
patterns and a growing interest in ethnic
foods from specific geographical areas.
The participation of developing countries in the international trade of non-traditional fruits and vegetables has increased
rapidly in recent years and considering that
the global demand for processed foods is
estimated at over 4,639 billion usd –or
three quarters of total food sales globally–
it is clear that the agri-food sector is becoming more and more relevant for countries
such as Mexico.
In the last 25 years, most processed food
sales have gone to high-income countries.
However, developing nations have generated
a percentage that is almost twice the added
value in global production of the main categories of products manufactured by agroindustries.
The agri-food sector in Mexico is important and, according to data by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography
(INEGI), accounted in 2012 for 8.1% of the
Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The role of
grain, fruit and vegetable production is of
particular significance. In addition, the processed food industry creates highly relevant
jobs and provides work opportunities that
benefit more than 500,000 people around
the country.
June 2013
That is because Mexico has significant
comparative and competitive advantages
over other nations in the sector. For instance,
the country’s weather conditions are favorable for year-round production. Furthermore, it has a competitive cost structure that
gives it access to important markets. In addition, Mexico’s wide network of free trade
agreements gives it preferential access to the
US, the European Union and Japan, to name
a few of the world’s most relevant markets.
Mexico also has a prestigious health status that is globally renowned and the dynamism of agri-food production chains make
it one of the countries with the largest potential to open new markets both at home
and abroad. Domestically, consumers have
become more aware of the food they buy
and eat, so that criteria such as sustainability
and good production practices are already
significant for their purchases.
Closely related to the transformation of
the agro-industrial sector is the restructuring
of retail food distribution markets, which in
turn have been induced by this restructuring.
June 2013
Closely related to the
transformation of the agroindustrial sector is the
restructuring of retail food
distribution markets, which
in turn have been induced by
this restructuring. In that area,
the growth of the supermarket
sector is key.
In that area, the growth of the supermarket
sector is key. While supermarkets have long
operated in a series of developing countries,
that has generally been in large cities and focused on a segment of wealthy or medium to
high income consumers. However, since the
90s there has been a type of “supermarket
revolution” in some developing nations and
Mexico is no exception.
Retail trade in Mexico accounts for
more than 70% of sales income, particularly the American Walmart Stores Inc., with
its affiliate Walmart de México, followed by
local stores Soriana and Comercial Mexicana. The global retailer is responsible for
over 50% of sales of personal items that are
acquired in supermarkets, while the competition between the other two chains is supported by multiple factors: the continuous
expansion of their facilities in Mexico; sales
at lower prices (explained in part by the acquisition of stock at lower prices due to the
high volume of goods they demand for sale);
the partnership with the country’s dominating retail firm wherever they go (Aurrerá
19
Negocios ProMéxico | Business Tips
Business Tips | Negocios ProMéxico
In terms of exports, Mexico plays an outstanding role, for instance, in
organic products. More than 750,000 tons of organic products are produced
every year, of which 85% are sold abroad since that market is in expansion
throughout the globe, particularly due to the health benefits it offers
consumers and the lower impact it has on the environment.
in Mexico) and the installation of storage and
distribution centers (CEDIS) for perishable and
non-perishable items, among other logistics, organization and operational measures.
Mexico’s agri-food sector has a very soft
economic cycle with stable jobs and wealth
creation. It is a very sensitive industry due to
the special impact of food safety on the population, with high financial requirements to cover
permanent transformation, transportation and
storage costs.
The importance of the food market in Mexico
is evidenced by the fact that in 2012, 26.4 billion usd were spent on food imports. Forty-two
percent of food consumed in the country was acquired abroad. Some of the most important foods
acquired in the global market are soy (95% of total consumption), rice (80%), wheat (56%), beef
and pork (40%), corn (33%) and beans (20%).
In terms of exports, Mexico plays an outstanding role, for instance, in organic products.
More than 750,000 tons of organic products
are produced every year, of which 85% are
sold abroad since that market is in expansion
throughout the globe, particularly due to the
health benefits it offers consumers and the lower impact it has on the environment.
In 2012, most of Mexico’s production was
sent to the US, Canada and Japan, and some
members of the European Union, proving the
quality of the country’s products. In the domestic market, farmers still have a huge playing
field, since the remaining 15% of production is
distributed in supermarkets with conventional
products and natural food stores, markets and
cafes. That sector is expanding noticeably as
consumers become more informed about the
benefits of organic products.
Mexico’s agro-industry is showing interesting trends. For example, agro-industrial
products such as tobacco and beer have seen
20
June 2013
June 2013
a decrease in their production value. On the
other hand, the agro-industries with the highest growth in production value are corn milling,
feed (balanced), wheat milling and edible vegetable oils and fats. These are basic products in
the Mexican diet and the increase in their value
is in turn due to the increase in cost of raw materials, which is a global trend.
There is another group of agro-industries
with a sustained increase in production value
and above the average of the larger food division, beverages and tobacco: non-alcoholic
sodas and beverages, meat products, coffee,
industrial and artisan bakery and starches, all
with double-digits.
Take the non-alcoholic sodas and beverages industry, which includes juices and bottled water. Today, it is the largest sector with
close to 15% of the total value of the division, which relates to the fact that this system is based on a relatively cheap raw material in Mexico –water. The water issue cannot
be avoided in the analysis of the present and
future of Mexico’s agro-industry, especially
when the northern part of the country, where
the resource is scarce, has achieved outstanding agro-industrial development.
The southern and southeastern parts of
Mexico are set to be the country’s agro-industrial core in the near future as large corn
processing plants, cold chains for food and the
optimization of grain yield give these places
comparative and competitive advantages.
Why? Because available water resources are
plentiful and that will enable innovations in
crop development for both the domestic market and exports. N
*Professor and researcher in the Political and
Social Sciences Faculty, National Autonomous
University of Mexico (UNAM).
21
Negocios ProMéxico | Cover Feature
Mexican Agro-Industry:
Supplying Food to the World
alcoholic), sweets, tobacco, snacks and
packaging. Mexico stands out as a strong
exporter in the majority of these food
product categories.
According to data from the Ministry of Economy (SE), between 2003 and
2007 Mexico’s agricultural exports grew
by 12% on average every year, while imports increased by 11%. By 2010, Mexico’s agri-food exports were valued at
16.9 billion usd.
Mexico is among the top global exporters of products such as avocado, papaya, mango, processed peppers, organic
coffee, tomato, Persian lime, aloe vera,
cucumber and greenhouse peppers, to
name but a few. It also plays a notable
role in other areas, as the eighth largest
meat product manufacturer in the globe
and, in the area of alcoholic beverages,
Mexican tequila and mezcal have been
granted denomination of origin in recent
decades and found a spot in the preferences of many international consumers,
becoming symbolic of Mexico.
Mexico also shows strength in processed foods exports, which account for
over 18.4% of total sales abroad, and their
growth rate has ranged from 18% to 20%
annually, going mainly to Japan, the US
and South Korea.
Mexico owes its export success to the
agro-industry and processed food industry’s compliance with the leading health
regulations in the world, including Good
Agricultural Practices (GAP), the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points
(HACCP) certifications and the US Food
and Drug Administration’s (FDA) requirements.
Productive oceans and fields, World Heritage gastronomy and a series of competitive
advantages make Mexico a place of growth for the agro-industry.
by jesús estrada cortés
The richness of Mexican food, which has
been declared Intangible Cultural Heritage
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), lies in the wide variety of its products,
which not only nourish its population but
also an industry that is constantly expanding. This combination of tradition and modernity brings to Mexico the ingredients to
become a global agro-industry power.
Mexico’s agro-industry has experienced rapid growth due to several factors, such as its surface area, which pro-
22
Cover Feature | Negocios ProMéxico
photos archive
vides the sector with a significant diversity of climate, flora and fauna, and its
geographic closeness to the US, one of
the world’s leading markets, which has
boosted exports.
Mexico has become the second largest supplier of processed foods to the US;
close to 80% of Mexican exports are destined for that market. Since 1994, when
the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) came into force, agricultural
exchange between both countries has expanded by close to 9% every year.
Mexico is the third largest producer
in the Americas and eleventh exporter
globally of agri-foods; more than 800
Mexican food products are present in international markets. Nine of the 10 leading processed foods transnationals in the
world have active presence in Mexico.
Considered a strategic sector, the
agro-industry in Mexico is a broad umbrella under which several branches
are included: agriculture, forestry, husbandry, apiculture, hunting, fishing, biotechnology, drinks (alcoholic and non-
June 2013
Close to Consumers
In 2012, Mexico produced 123.95 million
usd in processed foods, a 2.3% increase
compared to 2011; “the food industry accounted for 23.2% of the manufacturing
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 4.1%
of the country’s total GDP,” explains Armando Cobos Pérez, CEO of the National
Chamber of the Food Preserve Industry
(CANAINCA), a business organization
which affiliates food packaging industries.
CANAINCA is the meeting point for
45 companies, which together account
for more than 90% of all bottled foods in
Mexico, and which include important international trading companies such as CocaCola, Campbell’s, Famesa, Herdez, Jumex,
La Costeña and Nestlé, among others.
June 2013
Mexico is the third largest producer in the Americas and eleventh exporter
globally of agri-foods; more than 800 Mexican food products are
present in international markets. Nine of the 10 leading processed foods
transnationals in the world have active presence in Mexico.
CANAINCA is divided into 12 product families, such as peppers in every variety; juices, nectars and fruit drinks; infant
foods; sea products like tuna or sardines;
soups, creams and broths; mayonnaise and
dressings; and fruits.
“We produce food for general consumption [...] we are supplying the country’s pop-
ulation, there has never been a shortage of
supply,” says Cobos Pérez, who remembers
that in the chamber’s 26 years, none of its
members “has recorded negative numbers.”
Cobos emphasizes the importance
of the industry as a “trigger for Mexican
farmland,” since in 2012 “the amount
of product we purchased from farms in-
23
Negocios ProMéxico | Cover Feature
creased by 15.1% to 6.2 million tons. Our
sales increased by 5.7% [...] our exports
by 10.1% and they are mostly sent to the
US (85%) and the rest to Europe (4.5%),
Central and South America (3.1%) and
Asia (1.5%).”
According to forecasts, between
2012 and 2020 the Mexican industry’s
production is set to grow at an annual
average rate of 7.6%.
“The growth of the processed foods
industry in Mexico is due to its produc-
Cover Feature | Negocios ProMéxico
The main destination continues to be the US,
but we are reaching other markets,” he adds.
CANAINCA is optimistic that it will
sustain a 4% growth in real terms in
2013 since the industrial sector “is on
the rise and has done its homework in
creating new products, exporting, technifying, reinvesting in fixed assets, ensuring the supply of inputs through contract agriculture and by adding channels
so that consumers can get to know the
products,” says Cobos.
112 million, mostly young people; highly
skilled workforce; closeness to the US and
emerging economies in South America,
and “we have practically every raw material, every possibility in the fields and
oceans of Mexico.”
Other strengths of the agri-food industry are the more than 790,000 higher
education students that are enrolled in
engineering and technology programs, according to the National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions
Mexico’s agro-industry has also allocated significant amounts of production
capital to cutting-edge biotechnology that will enable it to create genetically
enhanced foods. In 2012, the country was ranked sixteenth globally in available
land for genetically enhanced crops, with 421,000 hectares, mainly used for
cotton, corn, wheat and soy.
tion capacity, the creation of high added
value goods, the availability of skilled
workforce and inputs for the supply. In
addition, there is a huge potential for export supply in the sector, the industry has
competitive manufacturing costs and the
size of the domestic market is appealing
for foreign companies who want to transfer operations to Mexico,” says Cobos.
Moreover, the fact that Mexican cuisine
is considered World Heritage “is opening
many possibilities to increase our exports
[...] the interesting thing is that we do not export maquila, our brands are something else.
24
The industry’s modernization has been
boosted by a fixed investment of 1.8%,
which, according to Cobos, will enable
them “to surpass packaged foods industries from anywhere in the word;” furthermore, companies have focused on creating
new product packaging with a diversity
of sizes and mixes to satisfy the needs of
Mexican and international consumers.
The World’s Largest Coffee Plant
Armando Cobos Pérez thinks that the
Mexican agri-food industry’s competitive
advantages lie in the population of over
(ANUIES) in Mexico; the over 750,000 engineers trained to serve the industry and the
alliances between companies and academia,
which enable the integration of new technologies into the food production chain.
In addition, according to Alix Partners’ 2011 US Manufacturing Outsourcing Index, Mexico is the most competitive
country in terms of manufacturing costs,
which are almost 21% lower than in the
US and 11% lower than in China. In the
processed foods industry, Mexico offers
14.1% savings in manufacturing costs
when compared to the US.
June 2013
These competitive advantages have
led to a constant growth in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), where between
2002 and 2011 the accumulated value
was 21.722 billion usd and in 2011
alone, attracted production capital
reached 1.968 billion usd, according to
data from the SE.
The Economic Commission for Latin
America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)
states that in the last six years, Mexico
has attracted 18.142 billion usd in FDI
for the agro-industry, equal to 38% of the
total received by the region as a whole. In
addition, it points out that two Mexican
companies are among the 10 largest firms
in the region, Femsa and Bimbo, which
opened two plants in 2012 in Brazil and
Argentina. Another relevant case, Gruma,
inaugurated facilities in the US.
According to the SE, some major
investments in Mexico’s agro-industry
come from the Italian chocolatier, Ferrero, which announced in 2012 an injection of 200 million usd to open a new
plant in the state of Guanajuato.
The Hershey Company, the largest
chocolate manufacturer in the US, also
announced a 50 million-usd investment
last year in Nuevo León, in the northeastern part of Mexico, as part of its expansion with two new production lines
to launch a new product.
Danone, the dairy leader, channelled
36.5 million usd to increase its production capacity in Guanajuato by 40% to
manufacture new products and expand
the production of its existing brands.
More recently, in May 2013, the
global giant Nestlé expanded its coffee factory in Toluca, Estado de México
(central Mexico), considered the largest
in the world, with an investment exceeding 110 million usd. This will result in
the creation of 900 direct jobs and expand the plant’s production capacity by
30%. Nestlé operates 14 factories in the
country and 16 distribution centers.
All these bets are paying off. According to data by Global Insight, food
companies’ net operative gains for 2012
reached almost 28.339 billion usd, exceeding reports by countries such as Brazil and Canada.
that will enable it to create genetically
enhanced foods. In 2012, the country
was ranked sixteenth globally in available land for genetically enhanced crops,
with 421,000 hectares, mainly used for
cotton, corn, wheat and soy.
At the same time, it is one of the largest producers of organic agriculture worldwide, a sector that grew out of rescuing
traditional agricultural processes from
Mesoamerican peoples. In 2012, Mexico
was among the top 20 markets in terms of
organic product sales, and is ranked third
in the Americas.
Mexico’s agro-industry is a delectable mix
of the past and future of food production.
And now the table is set for the world to
enjoy this new Mexican banquet. N
The Economic Commission
for Latin America and the
Caribbean (CEPAL) states
that in the last six years,
Mexico has attracted 18.142
billion usd in FDI for the
agro-industry, equal to 38%
of the total received by the
region as a whole.
Traditional or Cutting-edge
Mexico’s agro-industry has also allocated significant amounts of production
capital to cutting-edge biotechnology
June 2013
25
Negocios ProMéxico | Mexico’s Partner
Mexico’s Partner | Negocios ProMéxico
photo courtesy of catoex
The company’s leadership
is supported by its
verticality –the group
has its own coffee mills,
decaf, roasted and instant
plants, as well as a
caffeine refinery.
Big Time Soluble
The pioneers of decaffeinated coffee are still setting
the pace in the production of the grain’s derivatives.
Diversification and innovation are the pillars of Catoex.
by omar magaña
Café Tostado de Exportación
(Catoex) has accelerated its
growth in recent years and is
now brewing a new boost that
will increase its robustness and
double its size.
Headquartered in the city
of Córdoba, Veracruz, one
of the most important coffee
production centers in Mexico,
Catoex has invested several
million usd in its value chain,
from coffee fields and mills
(humid and dry) through
industrial plants such as decaffeinated, soluble and roasted,
to packing facilities. This year
the investment in infrastructure is above 10 million usd.
Gabriel Bobadilla, CEO
of the company, says that
Catoex has invested non-stop
in the last four years and
that, at the same time, it has
focused on innovation –fitting
its main brand, Los Portales
de Córdoba, launching new
added value lines and creating
products for multiple markets.
In order to do so, the firm has
leveraged the infrastructure,
labs and research centers of
two of the state’s main academic institutions: the Tec de
Monterrey Campus Central de
Veracruz and the Universidad
Tecnológica del Centro de
Veracruz.
Thanks to these efforts,
Catoex now has more than
500 employees: 250 of them
work in production, while the
rest carry out their activities
in the sales, exports and management departments of the
company that is considered a
leader among businesses with
Mexican equity that participate in the coffee market.
26
Part of Sanroke Group
and active since 1974, the firm
considers itself a pioneer in the
implementation of technology
for decaffeination in Mexico
as well as in a roasted and
soluble technology for this type
of product: Los Portales and
Kasinka coffee. The company’s
leadership is supported by its
verticality –the group has its
own coffee mills, decaf, roasted
and instant plants, as well as a
caffeine refinery. That has given
it the versatility to participate
in multiple niches and maintain
its exporting profile for over
two decades.
Coffee for All
Through its brand Los Portales de Córdoba, Catoex sells
agglomerated soluble crystal
coffee (regular and decaf),
mixed soluble, soluble for cappuccino and roasted-ground
(from decaf to organic to fair
trade, etc.).
Furthermore, Catoex offers
machines in concession for offices, hotels and industries and
sells them coffee. It also sells
roasted coffee in bulk to firms
that use it as raw material,
such as baking companies or
manufacturers of cappuccinoflavored solutions, and does
tolling of soluble coffee for
national supermarkets and
international brands that have
placed its product in more than
20 countries.
According to Bobadilla,
Catoex exports 60% of its production and external sales of
its own brand account for only
5% of its exports. The company exports to the US, Central
America, Canada, Spain, Israel,
As Bobadilla points out,
for the Mexican market, the
company has had to continue
“innovating and creating new
products to gain a place in the
heart of consumers who are
not heavy coffee drinkers.” He
adds that the current challenge
is to stimulate the consumption
of coffee-derived beverages by
promoting their health benefits.
In Mexico, Catoex has
faced the habits of a soda-consuming society and the strong
Australia, Japan and China,
among other relevant markets.
On the other hand, its positioning in the domestic market
gives it presence in “every possible corner of Mexico,” says
Bobadilla. Catoex has regional
offices in Mérida, Guadalajara,
Monterrey, Mexico City and
Córdoba to meet the needs of
its diverse portfolio of customers, among which are supermarkets, hotels, coffee shops,
restaurants and offices.
June 2013
June 2013
competition from multinationals that have a strong hold on
the solubles market. At that
juncture, innovation was key.
For instance, last year, Los
Portales de Córdoba added
new technology for soluble
coffee “coffee crystals” –small
flakes that enrich the drink
with flavor and aroma– on
supermarket shelves.
The strategy has been to
remain strong in foreign trade
with soluble and roasted and
ground coffee, including its
organic product. Its exports to
the US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore,
Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia,
Spain and China, among many
other countries, have boosted
the company’s career through
new certifications.
Catoex is ISO 9000:2008
and FSSC 22000 (Food Safety
System Certification 22000)
certified. The latter guarantees
the safety of food products
within a context of global
trade. It has also been certified
by JAS (Japanese Standard of
Agriculture) and other entities
that guarantee the quality of
organic products, in addition
to certifications by its own
customers with third party
audits, as well as support small
coffee producers with fair trade
products.
Bobadilla knows that the
“coffee market varies greatly”
with international prices that
can suddenly change the numbers of a commodity-focused
firm. Therefore, Catoex’s strategy has been to “close mediumterm supply deals with stable
prices.”
But Catoex has a big advantage: the closeness of its
supplies. By establishing in
Córdoba, where the Grupo
Sanroke, of which it is part, has
worked storing and processing
green coffee since 1925, the
company is close to one of the
best Mexican coffee beans and
a network of small producers
and firms that have traditionally bought and sold this priced
product. N
www.catoex.com.mx
27
A HEALTHY
& GREEN JOURNEY
TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
La Huerta is one of Mexico’s leading frozen vegetable
exporters to the US and Canada. From humble beginnings,
the company leads the way, not only in production and
sales but also in social and environmental responsibility.
by graeme stewart
In the middle years of the last
century –1956 to be exact–
José Arteaga Campos went
out into the fields with two
mules and began plowing.
By the 1960s, he had bought
the land and by 1975 he was
exporting frozen vegetables to
the US and Canada.
These were the humble
beginnings of La Huerta, a
company that is now at the
forefront of the Mexican
fresh and frozen vegetables
28
export business, which is
worth 10 billion usd to the
Mexican economy.
Today, La Huerta is still a
100% family owned Mexican
company, led by the founder’s
sons, that produces organic
and pesticide-free broccoli,
cauliflower, spinach, carrots,
onions and corn using the
most advanced water technology at farms located in
the states of Aguascalientes,
Jalisco and Zacatecas.
The firm looks upon
its employees as part of its
extended family. Committed to social sustainability,
La Huerta provides workers
with free healthcare, medication and education. More
than 500 scholarships a year
are awarded to employees’
children and a daycare center
is also available, not to mention an interest-free home
loans scheme.
The company’s exports
and sales have grown handsomely and La Huerta now
offers a large range of high
quality products that sell under its own brands (La Huerta, Little Farm, Nutriverde
and Nutrifresco, among others) as well as under private
labels for the leaders of the
retail and club store markets
worldwide.
La Huerta has received
numerous best supplier
awards, as well as recogni-
photos courtesy of la huerta
The company’s exports
and sales have grown
handsomely and La
Huerta now offers a large
range of high quality
products that sell under its
own brands (La Huerta,
Little Farm, Nutriverde
and Nutrifresco, among
others) as well as under
private labels for the
leaders of the retail
and club store markets
worldwide.
reinvested in our social sustainability programs.”
And what of these social
programs? Derntl explains:
“We take caring for our employees very seriously as they
are our extended family. Our
workers enjoy free on-site
healthcare and medication for
themselves and their families,
a state-of-the-art daycare center, scholarships for their children and interest-free loans to
help them build a home.
“For La Huerta, education is the key to helping our
employees and their families
getting further in life. We
offer a scholarship program
that supports all of our employees’ children with academic potential and, in 2013
over 620 will take advantage
of it. We even founded our
own La Huerta Education
Center where our employees have the opportunity of
finishing their elementary
school, middle school and
high school,” she adds.
Even the growers that
supply La Huerta are not
forgotten in the firm’s far
reaching social responsibility
program. “La Huerta goes
one step further in pursuit of
social sustainability, investing
actively in the development
of our growers. In order to
create wealth and develop entrepreneurship, we offer our
growers financial support,
including loans, to finance
new equipment and materials
as well as free technical training that helps them achieve
higher yields and better quality,” Derntl says.
There is something very
Mexican in La Huerta’s family values, values that have
helped the company progress to the top of its industry since the day that José
Arteaga Campos took his
two mules into the field and
started plowing. N
tion for excellent quality and
responsibility by its customers, the Mexican government
and international organizations. And while this performance has caught the eye, La
Huerta’s domestic business is
also thriving, capturing a high
percentage of the Mexican
frozen vegetable market. The
firm has expanded its products of choice to include other
types of frozen foods, such as
dinners, veggie burgers and
onion rings. The company expects sales this year to be split
almost 50-50 between the
domestic market and exports.
After more than 50 years
of experience, La Huerta has
become the master in its field.
“Our philosophy is to freeze
within 24 hours of harvesting. If you do not succeed in
freezing within that crucial
time frame, levels of nutrients and vitamins deplete. La
Huerta’s vegetables are at the
peak of freshness by the time
they are harvested, processed
and shipped to our customers
around the world.”
June 2013
June 2013
Such success takes a great
deal of planning, strategy and
innovation, in environmental
and social responsibility as
well as production and marketing.
Katrin Derntl, La Huerta’s
B2B Coordinator, is proud of
the company’s achievements.
She speaks of its modern water systems, introduced under
La Huerta’s sustainability
program, and says: “For La
Huerta, water is one of the
most critical resources, so we
have implemented a number
of innovative systems in order to help preserve it. The
highest impact is definitely
achieved by La Huerta’s water
saving, drip irrigation system
that uses up to 70% less water than traditional gravity
irrigation, reducing costs and
conserving clean water for
thousands of families in the
surrounding communities”.
“That innovative system
increases productivity as
nutrients are taken to the
plant more effectively. Other
water saving measures we use
are hydroponic greenhouses
and rainwater harvest as well
as water saving measures
during processing,” Derntl
continues.
La Huerta has also become an expert in biological
pest control, of which Derntl
says: “In 1995, our farmers
embarked on a mission to
find a better way to control
pests. We’ve been using beneficial bugs to keep harmful
ones at bay ever since. By
applying natural parasites,
which we develop and grow
in our own laboratories, we
managed to reduce our dependence on chemical pest
control to less than 6%. That
way, our farm workers are
kept from being exposed to
over one million pounds of
dangerous chemicals each
year and at the same time
we increase the quality of
our products. It’s all part of
our commitment to bringing
the public the freshest, most
natural foods. The savings
we make by reducing pesticide and fertilizer use, are
www.lahuerta.com.mx
29
A Mexican company uses bee-made food to create
energy products and intends to explore Asian and
American markets in the short term.
by antonio vázquez
the effects of stress, regulate
the activity of the circulatory
system, rid the body of toxins
and reduce bone and muscle
deterioration,” he says.
De Alba and his partner,
Raúl Adames Carbajal, had
worked in food sectors that
produce vegetables and other
organic substrates, until they
finally decided to explore
bee-keeping and bee-made
food.
Thus, in 2010, Amell
Bioactivos began operations.
Initially, the firm focused on
researching the products it
wanted to develop. A year
Agustín de Alba shows confidence when discussing
Amell Bioactivos’ portfolio. He says all of its
products are completely natural and have health
benefits since they increase energy levels, improve the
immune system and help reduce stress.
photo archive
For close to three years, Amell
Bioactivos, a Mexican company that produces organic
foods, has focused on developing a “parent formula” based
on honey, pollen, propolis and
royal jelly that it now seeks to
introduce to markets such as
Japan, the US, Argentina, Venezuela and Colombia.
“Our most sophisticated
product is Amell Poder. It con-
tains honey, pollen, propolis
and jelly and is a 100% energy
product. The molecular integration of the formula’s ingredients took a long time because
they would separate completely. We have not found another
product like this one in Mexico
and it is still unknown in the
rest of the world,” says Agustín
Carlos de Alba Ramírez, CEO
of the firm.
After Amell Poder, the
company based in the state
of Aguascalientes has created
15 more products: six bioactive foods and nine cosmetic
products.
Agustín de Alba shows
confidence when discussing
Amell Bioactivos’ portfolio.
He says all of its products are
completely natural and have
health benefits since they increase energy levels, improve
the immune system and help
reduce stress.
“They have measurable
health benefits and no side
effects. They help increase
energy and vitality, reinforce
the immune system, mitigate
photo bernardo velasco valdez
Amell Bioactivos:
The Power
of Bee-Keeping
30
June 2013
later they began testing the
formulas and by mid-2012
they were already selling
bioactive foods. The cosmetic product line was just
launched during the second
quarter of 2013.
Among other things,
Amell Bioactivos’ cosmetic
product catalog focuses on
hair care, cell antioxidation
and skin hydration.
“We developed that line
of cosmetic products to help
people, to contribute with
stability and benefits for the
body,” explains Raúl Adames.
Currently, Amell Bioactivos’
presence in Mexico is significant. Agustín de Alba explains
that the company has already
received requests from custom-
June 2013
ers in Japan, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia and the US.
“We are analyzing these
offers and solving challenges in
terms of both technology and
negotiations and we hope to
export our products to those
countries in the short term.
Furthermore, we plan to participate in an international show
in Germany in October 2013,”
says Agustín de Alba.
The entrepreneurs say they
have found advantages in operating and investing in Mexico,
especially in the state of Aguascalientes.
“Mexico, particularly
Aguascalientes, has very favorable conditions due to its
geographic location and infrastructure, the stability of its
currency and the facilities and
incentives offered by the state
and federal government to get
started, organize and develop
the challenges we face,” considers de Alba.
The impresarios state that
to all of these advantages
should be added the capacity of
human resources in Mexico as
well as the talent, knowledge,
creativity and productivity that
they apply to multiple sectors
of the national economy.
According to de Alba, the
combination of these elements
results in great development
expectations.
Amell Bioactivos is currently researching and designing five new products. One of
them is dairy food containing
the firm’s “parent formula”,
Amell Poder.
The company also plans to
launch a new line of food products with high antioxidating
properties that are also gourmet, according to Raúl Adames.
“Our development perspectives are practically
limitless, especially after the
scientific discoveries on bioactive and functional foods,
probiotics and prebiotics.
The number of possibilities
has multiplied, generating a
wide scope of action to develop applications that are
increasingly diverse and specialized,” concludes Agustín
de Alba. N
www.amellbioactivos.com
31
Eco Agri Tec:
Clustered Growth
Demagogy apart, there is strength in numbers. Eco
Agri Tec, the horticulturist partnership, is like a ship
that eludes the storm thanks to collaboration between
producers.
by omar magaña
Weaving collaboration networks is an excellent strategy
to protect assets against economic or climate variations,
especially with agri-food
products, which depend on
sunlight and rain.
Vegetable producers from
Rioverde, Ciudad Fernández
and San Luis Potosí form
the Eco Agri Tec cooperative
partnership. They are shielded
under the greenhouses where
they grow export gourmet
tomatoes: elite Roma tomato
on the vine (TOV), beef, grape
and cocktail, as well as orange, red and yellow peppers.
The 35 agri-business own-
32
photos courtesy of eco agritec
ers who make up Eco Agri
Tec join forces to invest, take
care of production and look
for sales channels, protecting
themselves from unexpected
circumstances such as price
falls and climate conditions
that affect even protected
horticulture.
The partnership was established in 2001 as a result
of “the uncertainty in open
air production, especially for
vegetables,” explains José
Alfredo López Cardona,
chairman of the Board of
Directors.
Eco Agri Tec is sustained
by the working relations
established between the partners and the ties they have
made with other players in
the agricultural production
chain, especially in sales and
technological innovation.
For four years, the partnership operated with greenhouses of the government
of San Luis Potosí and the
Centro de Producción y Comercialización AgroIndustrial
Invernadero de Santa Rita,
which exports large volumes
of red gourmet tomato to the
US and Canada.
Eco Agri Tec has an
agreement with Pure Flavor,
which distributes 95% of
the specialty tomato it produces in its 10 hectares of
greenhouses. The cooperative
delivers the product in San
Luis Potosí and Pure Flavor
transports it to its two warehouses in San Antonio, Texas,
and Detroit, Michigan, and
places it in North American
supermarkets.
“We are trying to work as
best we can and deliver quality product,” says José Alfredo
López. “[Pure Flavor] has told
us many times that they want
us to grow together –we in
our greenhouses and they in
their supermarket sales.”
Chairman López Cardona
sees the relationship with the
marketing company as a deal
between equals. Pure Flavor
has only been active for a few
years but is slated to become
a huge competitor. Eco Agri
Tec is also gradually growing; it has reinvested profits
to acquire new hectares to
build more greenhouses and
begun its conversion into a
storage center for other producers, which places it at the
mid-point between tomato
production and its departure
for sale abroad.
During visits that José
Alfredo López and his partners have made to Boston
and New York as part of ProMéxico’s trade missions, they
have established commercial
contacts that Pure Flavor is
following up on to open new
niches for Mexican tomatoes.
Thus, the idea of growing
together takes shape.
Furthermore, the cooperative is part of the Red Potosina de Tecnología Agrícola
that brings together technology and agricultural supply
companies, universities and
research centers such as the
Centro Potosino de Ciencia
y Tecnología (COPOCYT)
and the Instituto Potosino
de Investigación Científica
y Tecnológica (IPICYT) in a
single goal: to develop the
knowledge and advanced
utilities required by protected
horticulture.
Since its creation, Eco Agri
Tec has been counseled by the
National Agri-Food Health,
Safety and Quality Service
(SENASICA) in matters related to infrastructure, staff
training in contamination risk
reduction, microbiology, food
diseases and good practices.
Other entities such as the
National Council of Science
and Technology (CONACYT)
and Koppert have worked
with them on traceability and
business plans.
That has helped the cooperative to obtain certifications
from SENASICA, México
Calidad Suprema, SQF 1000
Level 3 and C-TPAT, which
allow it to venture calmly into
the demanding and competitive North American market of
specialty vegetables. The company is preparing to obtain the
ISO 9000 certification.
López Cardona looks
favorably on universities and
technological institutes in the
area that encourage programs
related to agricultural management, protected horticulture, plant nutrition, plagues
and diseases. “The new growers that Eco Agri Tec needs
in its greenhouses will come
from there,” he says.
June 2013
Overcast Days
Eco Agri Tec is recognized
worldwide for the technology
of its greenhouses, which have
hydroponic systems, multispan
protection modules and heating. That enables them to use
water efficiently, control plant
diseases, isolate the product
from soil problems and harvest more.
“If it is overcast every
day, even if you have the best
technology, any greenhouse
stops producing with quality,”
adds José Alfredo López. He
says that in 2012, Eco Agri Tec
struggled to export tomatoes
with uneven coloration and
June 2013
green spots. That was due to
many cloudy days.
He remembers that in that
year, the cooperative sent a
large part of its production
to the domestic market, when
normally they leave only 5%
to 8% of their packages in
Mexico.
In 2011 they experienced
another setback when tomato
producers from the coldest
areas in the US, where the fruit
does not grow regularly during the winter, were blessed
with good weather, producing
and selling their own products
and affecting exporter prices.
“There was excess production
worldwide and prices plummeted. Not even distributors
respected the contracts,” explains López Cardona.
Those moments were precisely what made the partners
realize that strength lies in
numbers. Eco Agri Tec continues to yield positive results; it
employs 300 people from Ciudad Fernández and produces
close to 3,815 tons of tomato
every year (the combined sum
of its multiple specialties)
and it seems that it will have
more control on foreign profit
shortly. N
Eco Agri Tec has an
agreement with Pure
Flavor, which distributes
95% of the specialty
tomato it produces
in its 10 hectares of
greenhouses.
www.ecoagritecinvernaderos.com
33
photos archive
Sí o Sí: The Elite
in Processed Foods Technology
Sí o Sí Alimentos is a Mexican producer of easy to prepare dry food. The company
exports 99.9% of its processed foods output.
by antonio vázquez
“The technology we use is the
Rolls Royce of dehydration,”
says Gerómino Villanueva,
CEO of Sí o Sí Alimentos, a
Mexican company that produces and exports freeze dried
foods throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.
Sí o Sí began in 2006 as a
university project. It was the
final thesis of students at the
Instituto Tecnológico de Morelia, which involved developing technology to dry foods
that are plentiful in Mexico,
maintaining their nutritional
properties for export and
consumption in other parts of
the world.
34
Their technology has
been perfected. Villanueva
describes the process: “The
product is frozen and put in a
high vacuum system that does
not degrade it. It is then dried
and the water is removed,
leaving a product with the
same flavor and nutrients it
had when fresh.”
Sí o Sí’s flagship product
is avocado. The fruit, which
is grown almost everywhere
in Mexico, has too much oil,
which complicates the process
of extracting water from it. But
instead of being an obstacle,
that has been a challenge for
the Mexican firm. Thanks
to their patented technology,
avocados are dried, powdered,
packaged and exported to
countries such as the US, the
UK, Belgium, Spain and Turkey.
“We are now sending samples to more than 60 countries. I can say that 99.9% of
our production is exported
as we only have a couple of
customers in Mexico,” says
Villanueva.
“With our process, avocado remains the same but
dried. Our product does not
contain other ingredients. It
can be preserved for up to
one year and its preparation
is very simple, you only have
to add water to enjoy Mexican guacamole practically
anywhere in the world,” he
explains.
And while there are similar companies that work with
fruits and coffee in Mexico
and other parts of the globe,
Sí o Sí was the first to innovate with avocado. In 2012,
the firm’s guacamole was
named one of the most innovative products during the
SIAL Food Show in Paris.
From then on, Sí o Sí has
explored working with other
foods that it is now exporting
as well, such as coconut and
cacao, the plant used to produce chocolate.
Gerónimo Villanueva
points out that investing in
technology innovation is essential for the growth of Sí o Sí.
“Technology development is the foundation for
us to remain competitive.
The market for these types of
products is almost untapped
and ours is very new. We have
invested heavily in research
to improve and compete. If
we had stopped with what we
did in 2010, when we only
worked with avocado, a larger company would have put
us out of business. I think our
success lies in constantly innovating and identifying new
market niches where there is
no other available solution,”
he says.
June 2013
While there are similar
companies that work
with fruits and coffee in
Mexico and other parts
of the globe, Sí o Sí was
the first to innovate with
avocado. In 2012, the
firm’s guacamole was
named one of the most
innovative products
during the SIAL Food
Show in Paris.
June 2013
But the truth is that this
Mexican business offers
something that goes beyond
opening a package and adding
water to its contents. Sí o Sí
has also thought about creating food solutions for extreme
situations.
“Our products require
no refrigeration so we have
even thought about natural
disasters, when power is out
or in places where there is
no access to power and refrigeration is not an option,”
explains Villanueva.
The company’s products
have several certifications, like
the organic food certification
from the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA Organic),
the certification from the US
Ethical and Environmental
Certification Institute (ICEA)
and a US acknowledgement
of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
In six years, Sí o Sí has
increased its research pool
almost fourfold. The company
has 15 people working on
improving each product technologically, convinced that
human resources are a basic
tool for their development.
Sí o Sí’s plan is to grow
exponentially in the medium
term, develop new products
with new foods and find new
market niches.
“The good thing about
Mexico is that raw materials
are numerous: there is a fantastic variety and most of our
customers demand organic
products. That forces us to
comply with international
standards and certifications,
which we have always done,”
says Villanueva.
“We always say yes in
our culture. That is how we
chose the name of our company. When someone asks us
if we can do something, we
say: ‘Yes, we surely can!’ We
have also found a great deal
of support from government
entities such as ProMéxico
to place our products abroad
and the National Council
of Science and Technology
(Conacyt) to develop the
technology,” he concludes. N
www.avocadopowder.com
35
photos courtesy of naturkost de méxico
Naturkost de México was
officially established in 2008
to supply mainly the US and
Canada.
Five years after opening
its doors in Tlajomulco de
Zúñiga, Jalisco, it produces
close to 500 tons of chia every year. Of that total, 99%
is exported to countries such
as the US, Canada, Peru, Germany, Israel, Australia and
Malaysia.
“The product is very popular now. In 2007, we only
managed to sell two tons.
This year we reached 500
tons in annual sales just in
chia. The seed’s main benefit
is its high content of fatty acids like Omega 3 and Omega
6, much more than flaxseed.
That has been its main appeal, in addition to its high
fiber and antioxidant content
as well as other health benefits,” explains Palacio.
Naturkost’s guiding principle is quality. And that is
something that can only be
accomplished through certifi-
Chia, the Seed that
Raised Naturkost
in Mexico
In just two years, the Mexican Naturkost has quadrupled
sales of organic chia, a seed that abounds in Mexico and
which the company exports mainly to the US, Canada
and Germany.
by antonio vázquez
Naturkost de México can
certainly brag about its close
to 400% growth in sales in
the last couple of years. The
formula for its success? Selling chia, a plentiful seed in
Mexico that is rich in fatty
acids like Omega 3 and con-
36
sumed in a variety of forms.
The firm was established
in 2005. At that time, Alejandro Palacio, an undergraduate
student at the Tecnológico de
Monterrey, worked from his
classrooms to innovate the
elaboration of organic prod-
cation, according to Palacio.
Naturkost de México has the
German BCS Öko-Garantie
certification for organic
products, as well as Israel’s
Kosher certification and ISO
22000 for food safety. These
and other certifications guarantee the firm’s processes,
which range from cleaning
the seed to grinding it for
consumption.
Naturkost has innovated
with other foods as well. It
exports agave and inulin,
pecans and walnut praline,
sesame, dried coconut and
some dried fruits such as
mango and apple.
We ask Palacio: “Chia is
widely consumed in Mexico
but what is it used for in
other countries?”
“Many clients use it for
cereal, granola bars and bread.
For example, in Germany it
is used in bread making, for
multigrain bread. In South
Korea they use it to make chia
granola bars. Some customers
make cereals and there is a
market that extracts chia oil to
produce Omega 3 capsules,”
he explains.
And while globally, companies in Bolivia, Argentina,
Peru or Australia use a process similar to Naturkost
de México’s, the Mexican
corporation is the only one
to apply it with organic
products.
The company is growing. It
currently has 15 employees and
plans to open another processing line and a second warehouse in the medium term.
“There are several brands
of chia or agave nectar on
the market but our added
value is that we are certified
organic, which means that
our product is healthy and
environmentally friendly.
This gives Naturkost an
incredible head start in a
market such as the organic,
which is developing and
growing exponentially,” concludes Palacio. N
Naturkost has innovated
with other foods as
well. It exports agave
and inulin, pecans and
walnut praline, sesame,
dried coconut and some
dried fruits such as
mango and apple.
www.organic-mexico.com
ucts. During a congress, German producers showed interest in what students in Monterrey were doing, Palacio
included, and offered funding
for several proposals.
A year later, in 2006, the
German company Naturkost
asked him to be their representative in Mexico to
continue with the project to
produce organic chia that he
had begun during his time at
university.
“The product was already
done but at that time, laws in
Europe made it impossible to
import and market it. They
asked me to go to the US and
Canada but our first sales were
difficult, we barely sold two
tons in 2007,” says the now
CEO of Naturkost de México.
June 2013
June 2013
37
photo archive
Grupo Versa:
Gradual Growth
The needs of the land are endless. Every crop in every
region is exposed to a series of variables that affect its
yield. Grupo Versa, a company of plant health products,
has come up with a solution to every problem.
by omar magaña
A glance at Grupo Versa’s
plant health product catalog
is enough to appreciate the
company’s growth and evolution since 1980 and reaffirm
its focus on innovation. As
its COO, Fernando Vera explains: “Our firm has tried to
offer more and more solutions
over the years.”
Based in Torreón, Coahuila, the company has not
stopped working for more
than 30 years but after a
review of its expansion and
diversification history, it is
clear that it has done so with
careful steps and securing
each rung on its career ladder.
Grupo Versa began operating in 1980 as an agroinputs distributor. Later, in
1984, it established its first
phytosanitary product formulation plant to satisfy the
demands of cotton crops in
the Comarca Lagunera region.
With the decline in cotton
production in Coahuila in
the mid-90s, the agri-business
began to expand its scope and
look for new opportunities,
developing new products for
other crops in other areas of
the country.
Today, the company has
distribution offices practically
everywhere in Mexico. In the
90s, Grupo Versa expanded
its liquid insecticide plant and
opened facilities that specialize in liquid herbicides and
others in granules, fungicides
and flowable pesticides. Then,
in the 21st century, the firm
added wettable powders, bio-
38
fertilizers and seeds, to end
2010 with latest generation
products.
“In 2010 we installed a
plant where we produce microorganisms to control pests
organically,” says Fernando
Vera.
That is Grupo Versa’s
largest investment in a single
line (3 million usd). However,
it will result in high-end products based on microorganisms
that can be used in organic
agriculture and integrated
pest management.
“We are presenting a complete alternative that uses microorganisms to control crop
plagues, whether they are due
to plant disease or insects,”
explains Vera.
Although this is an innovative line that will enable
Grupo Versa to expand its
customer portfolio abroad,
Vera says that the strategy
will be to advance slowly,
analyzing each country’s requirements and making the
necessary registrations in each
of them. For the time being,
they have focused on advertising their products and reviewing the markets they could
enter successfully. Although
their first destination will be
South America, they already
have requests from producers
in the Middle East.
In the World’s Fields
Organic products, a field in
which the company plans to
continue researching and developing new products, will be
“We focus on
innovation. We are
developing new products
to penetrate the market
and complement our
line of latest generation
products and different
formulas and we will
undoubtedly expand our
organic line,” says Vera.
ucts designed to control crop
plagues, heal plants and generate higher yields. Products also
come in a long list of forms:
wettable powders, emulsion
concentrates, aqueous suspensions, soluble liquids, granules,
miscible liquids and flowables.
The catalog also contains domestic use solutions for insects
such as mites, scorpions,
spiders, bedbugs, cochineals,
cockroaches, beetles, ants,
flies, gnats, moths, silverfish,
earwigs and mosquitoes.
“We focus on innovation.
We are developing new products to penetrate the market
and complement our line of
latest generation products
and different formulas and
the spear head that will enable
Grupo Versa to venture outside
of Mexico. Its presence in the
foreign market is the result of
a combination of direct and
indirect exports, the latter made
through plant health companies
for which it operates as a toll
formulator.
According to data provided
by Grupo Versa’s COO, 70% of
the firm’s production bears its
brand, while the other 30% is
produced for its trade partners.
“Many of our inputs come
from abroad and we process
them to fit our customer’s
needs,” says Vera about the
company’s maquila profile.
The group’s portfolio
has a wide variety of prod-
June 2013
June 2013
we will undoubtedly expand
our organic line,” says Vera.
During testing and product development, Grupo
Versa relies on public universities and research institutions from Mexico and
abroad. “Our products are
well studied,” Vera explains
to those who point out the
potential collateral effects
of plant health products
in agriculture. From his
point of view, they are plant
medicines that are needed
to increase the efficiency of
the land. Their raison d’être
lies in the increasingly larger
need to guarantee food for
populations that are growing
exponentially.
“In the case of microorganism-based organic
products, there are products
with bad qualities or without
registration that have affected
the image in the market,”
he explains. Therefore, he
underlines that a more strict
observance from authorities is
needed in that area.
That is why Grupo Versa
has decided to penetrate the
market gradually. For now, the
company has registered five
products and will continue with
several more to complete the
organic line for the markets it
has already conquered and are
awaiting its new technology. N
www.agroversa.com
39
Frucasa:
Unlimited Guavas
Guava, the fruit with the highest vitamin C content, is
expanding its transit routes in the US. Frucasa opened
the doors for the extra nutritious pod in that market and
is preparing for the imminent arrival of other players.
by omar magaña
Doing business with fruit has
never been easy, especially with
those that have a short life after
harvesting, like strawberries and
guavas. However, the collective company Fruticultores de
Calvillo, S.A. de C.V. (Frucasa)
is renowned in Mexico for its
efforts to open new markets
for guava, both in Mexico and
abroad, becoming the first exporter of the fruit to the US.
Founded in 1992 by a group
of guava producers (the raw
material has been grown in
photos courtesy of frucasa
Mexico, especially in Calvillo,
Aguascalientes, for over a century), Frucasa is sustained by
the participation of 14 families
who work individually in the
field with food health and safety
standards they have created as
a group and are shareholders in
the plant that purchases, collects,
packages and sells the fruit.
According to Roberto
López Cardona, founding partner of Frucasa, the goal of the
firm has always been to “serve
markets as a group to be more
cost-efficient and more effective
in terms of markets.”
In the early 90s, Frucasa’s
partners were already discussing the need to penetrate the
foreign market but they had
to wait a long while to consolidate processes and certify
orchards and their fruit so
their shipments could cross the
northern border, which they
finally achieved in 2008.
“The process involved
mainly plant health control and
good practices in the fields,”
says López Cardona.
Along the way, Frucasa’s
coordination with the right
entities was very helpful. In the
orchard, the company worked
with the National Agri-Food
Health, Safety and Quality
Service (SENASICA), in sales
process planning with the office
for Support and Services to Agricultural Sales (ASERCA) and
in strategy and contacts abroad
with ProMéxico.
“ProMéxico is our right
hand in terms of trade,” states
López Cardona.
Exporting Pioneer
Frucasa sold and continues to
sell its product to the Mexican
processed fruit industry, particularly juice bottlers such as Del
Valle, Valle Redondo and Pascual Boing, and fresh fruit stores
in Tijuana, Mexicali, Ciudad
Juárez, Chihuahua, Torreón
and Monterrey. Since it began
to explore the export market,
another part of its fresh produce
goes to distributors that transport guavas to McAllen, Los
Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and
New York.
According to López Cardona’s estimates, since 2008, the
firm has placed 2,000 tons of
fresh guavas on the US market.
During that same period, Frucasa has also sent guava pastes,
jellies and jams to the US.
At the end of the last decade, Frucasa and the Ministry
of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural
40
June 2013
June 2013
Frucasa is sustained
by the participation of
14 families who work
individually in the field
with food health and
safety standards they
have created as a group
and are shareholders in
the plant that purchases,
collects, packages and
sells the fruit.
Development, Fisheries and
Food (SAGARPA) carried out
a study aimed at establishing
the logistics for the company to
fine tune the sales process of its
product abroad. According to
the study, in 2009, Frucasa was
ranked first among Mexican
guava exporters, with a 16%
share of Mexican guava sales
abroad.
The report showed other
important data about Aguascalientes where the business
is located: it has the largest
number of hectares certified for
guava growing, although the
state of Michoacán is still the
largest producer of the fruit in
the country.
The report also identified
the US as a potential market
where up to 60,000 tons of
guava could be sent every season, destined mainly for the
Hispanic market, albeit with
enormous possibilities of reaching other sectors through the
promotion of the fruit’s health
benefits.
López Cardona believes
that the chances of remaining
in the US are huge because the
country produces very little
guava, which in turn means
that there is a lot of work
to do to promote the fruit
and its consumption among
virtual consumers. To that
end, Frucasa is analyzing the
possibility of establishing its
own sales office, to reduce its
dependency on third parties.
The relationship with
ProMéxico has been very
helpful in establishing the
right connections. However,
López Cardona is confident
that an adequate sales department will enable them to
seek other markets, such as
the European. The experience
throughout the production
chain, the knowledge they
have obtained in technologies to expand the life of a
highly perishable fruit and
the innovations they have
implemented so far give them
the confidence to seek new
horizons.
Guava is grown in 20
Mexican states. Companies
such as Frucasa have opted
for selling processed products
obtained from the fruit, such
as pulp, preserves, paste, juice,
punch or jam, dehydrated fruit
or concentrates. And they have
done so successfully.
Frucasa is already selling
in Mexico its latest innovation in these types of products: dehydrated, powdered
guava that is used to prepare
milk or water based drinks,
cakes and gelatins.
“This is a very novel
and natural product and
we are confident that it will
produce good results,” says
López Cardona, who emphasizes that derivatives keep
the properties of what is
considered one of the most
nutritious fruits grown in the
Mexican countryside. N
www.frucasa.mx
41
Mexican Aloe Vera
to Cover the World
For almost 14 years, Agromayal Botánica has produced
organic powdered and concentrated aloe vera raw
materials to sell in more than 20 countries.
42
photo agromayal botánica
by antonio vázquez
Every year, some 60 tons of
pure aloe vera raw materials
for industrial applications
leave Mexico towards a score
of countries in Asia, Europe
and the Americas.
They leave in different
forms –liquid, concentrate or
powder– but always with the
Agromayal Botánica (Amb
Wellness) label, a Mexican
company that has grown
steadily in 14 years.
“Globally we are one of
the companies with the highest production capacity. Every
year we process in one shift
close to 60 tons of aloe vera
inner leaf,” says Álvaro Ceniceros del Río, CEO of Amb
Wellness.
This firm, located in the
Gómez Palacio Industrial
Park, in the state of Durango,
northwest of Mexico City,
produces exclusively for the
foreign market with a 100%
of national integration.
Amb Wellness exports to a
long list of countries. The US,
South Korea, China, France,
Belgium, Ireland, Sweden,
June 2013
the United Kingdom, Chile,
the Dominican Republic,
Martinique, Israel, Taiwan,
Germany, Malaysia, Poland,
the Czech Republic, Italy,
Australia and Denmark are
only some of the destinations
for this Mexican company’s
aloe vera used by renowned
customers and big players in
the beverages, food, cosmetics, nutraceutical and other
related industries.
“We still have a large part
of the world to conquer,” says
Ceniceros del Río, explaining
that from organic aloe vera,
the business produces liquids
and powders for multiple
uses. Amb Wellness aloe vera
can be found in drinks, food,
cosmetics, diapers, facial towels, household products and
veterinary applications, to
name just a few areas.
The company’s history
goes back to 1994, when Ceniceros del Río worked in a
food company in Coahuila, in
the northern part of Mexico.
There, he learned the basics of
aloe vera pulp production.
Five years later he and
his partner, Luis Pedroza,
decided to begin their own
venture into the aloe vera and
organic product industries,
which were little explored at
the time. Technical and commercial capabilities and experiences were joined creating
Amb Wellness.
“Mexico is the largest aloe
vera producer in the world.
The value of this highly nutritious and organic raw material in the international industry is extremely attractive,
which is why we decided to
go into this business,” remembers Ceniceros del Río.
Almost 15 years later,
the two-man firm became a
renowned business with 31
employees. Ceniceros del Río
adds that, besides the abun-
June 2013
dance of aloe vera in Mexico,
other factors such as technology innovation, renowned
quality of the brand, knowhow, analytical support of
American, South Korean and
German laboratories, and personnel’s technical capabilities
and openness to globalization
contributed to positioning
Amb Wellness in the international market.
Amb Wellness provides
indirect employment all year
round with the aloe vera
leaves and gel purchases, creating a social and economic
impact for the states of Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí,
where their main raw materials suppliers are located.
“Our greatest advantage is
that we have the biggest aloe
vera plantations in Mexico
and that, unlike other Mexican companies, we decided
to focus in the Asian and
European markets. We have
a privileged geographic location, which also grants us
easy access to customers by
land, sea, air and multimodal
means,” he explains.
He continues, “Our
company is very flexible and
personalizes each product
based on customers’ demands,
which is difficult for many,
because most work with
line products; we work with
what the customer wants.
We also have low production
costs since we achieved scale
economies with competitive
prices in the global market,
which gives us an operating
advantage over countries such
as the US.”
Óscar Lozano, Amb Wellness’s sales manager, says that
the firm’s main product is
powdered aloe vera.
“Due to its physical and
chemical attributes, our aloe
vera powder benefited from
our drying technologies,
which is why it now dissolves immediately in water.
Our products are 100%
pure aloe vera, have no additives and their biochemical
profile is preserved, offering
natural juice quality in the
form of powder and liquid
concentrates. That has been
an important factor in our
company’s success,” explains
Lozano, emphasizing that
Amb Wellness has several
certifications such as Kosher,
Halal and Organic and that
they are currently in the process of obtaining the IASC
and ISO 22000 certification
in food safety, confirming the
quality of the product and its
safe consumption.
Technology innovation is
one of Amb Wellness’s guiding principles. Currently,
this Mexican company is
strengthening its presence by
consolidating solid business
relationships with distributors
in countries with significant
economic growth in the Middle East, as well as exploring
other niches like aloe vera
non-woven products.
Clothing, linen, towels,
diapers; it’s a large and interesting market that we have
been venturing into and for
which we have been developing technology [...] Other
projects are formulas with our
aloe vera materials in other
food products, such as green
barley and wheat. Amb Wellness keeps up to date on these
and other trends and offers
products with specific applications for our clients. We are
confident of continuing with
our expansion and growth,
first with Bancomext and now
with ProMéxico’s support, by
bringing this sought after raw
material to the world,” concludes Álvaro Ceniceros. N
Currently, this
Mexican company is
strengthening its presence
by consolidating solid
business relationships
with distributors in
countries with significant
economic growth in the
Middle East, as well as
exploring other niches
like aloe vera non-woven
products.
www.amb-wellness.com
43
TecnoFruit in Asia
Many Mexican states that promote foreign trade insist
on Japan’s significance as a target market for their local
agricultural products. TecnoFruit is a good example of
the potential of that exchange.
44
photos courtesy of tecnofruit
clearly a demanding market
but it pays well for those who
know how to produce. “We
have to be very careful with the
color, shape and dimensions
of the fruit in Japan because
our products will go to the
food service, supermarket and
restaurant sector, where consumers will have the final say,”
explains Sarracino.
strawberries and mangoes,
among other products.
“That type of support and
the business agendas that they
(ProMéxico and SAGARPA)
prepare for us have changed
our minds about the difficulty
of exporting,” says Sarracino,
for whom Asia seems so much
closer now. “For TecnoFruit,
placing a kilogram of frozen
achieve that goal and bring
about balanced and continuous
sales year after year. As Sarracino explains: “Japan’s seasonality is completely different.
From November to May, when
the demand for strawberries is
at its highest in the US, Japan
needs other fruits and strawberries are sought between
May and September/October.”
TecnoFruit managers have
already visited their target
markets through business
missions organized by ProMéxico. Last year, they visited
Malaysia, Singapore and
Indonesia. Supported by the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development,
Fisheries and Food (SAGARPA), TecnoFruit joined the
ranks of agri-companies that
participated in Foodex Tokyo,
where Mexican producers
promoted avocado, organic
agave nectar, blackberries,
tomatoes, macadamia liqueur,
distilled liqueurs, sesame seed,
fruit in Canada or in Kuala
Lumpur makes no difference,”
he adds.
TecnoFruit’s goal has always been to export. Since its
early years, the business owners
from Mexico City, Guadalajara and Zamora who were
invited to create the company
in August 2008, set the goal to
produce 15,000 tons a year of
fresh and frozen fruit, using Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)
and block frozen processes, to
satisfy the needs of domestic
and international customers.
Their expansion into the
Asian markets will help them
The firm has worked hard
to obtain the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) certification from the Japanese government, adding it to its other certifications, such as Kosher, AIB
International and FSSC 22000.
The standards that TecnoFruit has reached so far and
the trust it has earned among
authorities in other countries,
such as the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), are the
result of the company’s investments and efforts in processes
that ensure that the fruits comply with the strictest health
regulations at all times.
by omar magaña
Luis Sarracino, CEO of the
fruit processor TecnoFruit,
explains how enthusiastic the
company is about the launch
of a project that will strengthen its exporting spirit: the
arrival of its products to the
Southeast Asian market.
TecnoFruit, located in
Zamora, Michoacán, has done
everything in its power to
penetrate the Japanese market,
so much so that in the summer of 2013 it will send the
first mango shipments from its
plant where it also processes
strawberries (since 2009),
peach, guava and bananas,
which it began handling only a
couple of years ago.
Trade with Japan is not
only a huge challenge but also
promises financial stability
for a young firm that has been
able to establish strategic relations with Mexico’s processed
fruit industry, initially as a
maquila shop for Agrana and
Frexport and companies in
the US and Canada.
According to Sarracino,
TecnoFruit had a stable business relationship with its
partners in Mexico and the
US but early in 2012, after its
exports dropped considerably,
it was forced to explore new
markets.
Japan turned out to be
the ideal destination. As Sarracino explains, Japan is the
epitome of the importer of
farm products that are not
produced domestically. It is
June 2013
June 2013
In the last three years,
TecnoFruit has invested close
to 5 million usd in selection
lines, tunnels for IQF processing, cooling warehouses and
washing systems, as well as
in its traceability department
and microbiological study
laboratories.
“We have a traceability
engineering department that
enables us to inform our customers on when the strawberries we are selling them were
planted or harvested, which
pesticides were used, which
grower did it and what certifications they hold,” explains
Sarracino.
All of the above, in addition
to an organizational culture that
sees that standards are met from
field to packaging. TecnoFruit
supports its supplier growers to
obtain Primus Lab Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification and in its plants, has
implemented a quality system
aimed at reducing waste and
perfecting product washing.
A team of 18 engineers
work on the processes that help
TecnoFruit ensure the safety
and complete reliability of its
products for its customers in
Mexico and abroad.
“We want to transfer ISO
technology but with our own
touch. We are trying to exceed
these certificates exclusively for
our type of industry,” asserts
Sarracino, for whom innovation is precisely that, going
beyond standards.
It is precisely that kind of
thinking which has enabled
TecnoFruit to grow rapidly in
the last four years, increasing its
payroll from 180 to 550 workers during peak production
periods. And now, after laying
all the foundations for the success of its business, it is getting
ready to achieve its main goal:
to climb up the chain as a fruit
base processor for yogurt and
jam producers. N
www.tecnofruit.org
45
Negocios ProMéxico | Figures
Figures | Negocios ProMéxico
infographic oldemar
Mexican
Agro-industry
FEEDING
THE
WORLD
Avocado
Main exported
products
by country
Value 2012, million 
671.0
Japan
92.0
Canada
61.0
Costa Rica
20.0
El Salvador
19.0
Honduras
14.0
Guatemala
7.3
Spain
2.9
France
2.1
Netherlands
1.6
US
Berries
357.00
UK
6.03
Japan
4.06
Netherlands
3.02
Italy
2.47
Germany
2.40
Spain
0.92
Belgium
0.84
France
0.83
US
Lemon
207.00
Netherlands 55.80
UK
4.23
Canada
1.60
Japan
1.40
France
1.20
Belgium
0.83
Spain
0.56
US
Mango
203.00
Canada
25.80
Japan
2.75
Netherlands
2.72
France
0.46
US
Banana
US
France
Netherlands
Japan
55.9
7.1
2.6
0.72
Melon
US
Japan
Costa Rica
17.090
0.085
0.082
Grapefruit
France
Russia
Netherlands
Belgium
US
UK
Canada
3.34
0.98
0.74
0.72
0.69
0.56
0.50
Source: Global Trade Atlas.
46
June 2013
June 2013
47
Negocios ProMéxico | Figures
infographic oldemar
Garlic
Onion
87
2,
6
Watermelon
3
43
5,
8,8
92
4
35
,
16
9
1,3
74
9
763
21,
,6
51
42
87
45,6
18,576
Mexican
Yield
397,2
67
,019
1,002
16,037
Production in 2011*
1,345
Cultivated area
Hectares
8
21,46
Raspberry
00
3
7
5
Grapes
11,
29
,56
14
31
4
135
1,
,98
Strawberry
,8
16
7,
69
5
00
Asparagus
27
28
4,3
1,264,141
22
7
63
9
8,
85,41
Production
Tons
142,146
Grapefruit
The Lifestyle
Cucumber
29
0,6
5
36
58,065
5,695
9
,63
48
Pineapple
The Complete Guide to the Mexican Way of Life
Guava
Mexico Gets
the Grass
Growing
Papaya
Blackberry
st
GLOBAL EXPORTER OF
Tomato, avocado
guava and mango
Papaya
48
2nd
GLOBAL EXPORTER OF
Melon and watermelon
Lemon and lime
Asparagus
3rd
GLOBAL EXPORTER OF
Cucumber
Onion, shallots and garlic
Eggplant
4th
GLOBAL EXPORTER OF
Strawberry
Iceberg lettuce
Cauliflower and broccoli
June 2013
courtesy of bosque real
1
57
photo
WORLD CHAMPION**
Sources: * SIAP, SAGARPA / ** Global Trade Atlas
Avocado
Mexico has long and short courses; courses with fast
greens and slow ones. Some bear the signature of
the world’s top golf course architects and most offer
spectacular panoramic views, be it of forests, jungles,
oceans, lakes, lagoons or cityscapes. All courses that are
crying out to be played on!
50
The Lifestyle Briefs
52
London MexFest
Mexico Gets Creative in London
54
“I try to make jewelry with
a sense of fun”
Interview with Mexican designer
Daniela Villegas
62
Mezcal,
Fire on the Tip
64
Mexican Chefs,
Whetting
photo
ARCHITECTURE
Mexican Takes Home Award
for Best Director at Cannes
The Soumaya:
A Museum Piece in and of Itself
Mexico’s Amat Escalante (1979) won the award
for Best Director with Heli at this year’s Cannes
Film Festival, which took place on May 15-26.
Heli competed in the Official Section against
19 other films by established, award-winning directors like Roman Polanski, Steven Soderbergh
and the Coen brothers.
On stage with Cannes jury president Steven
Spielberg, Escalante sent out a message of hope,
saying he hopes we never get used to violence.
This is the second year running a Mexican
has taken home the Cannes award for Best Director. In 2012 it was Carlos Reygadas, who
won with Post Tenebras Lux. Also in 2013, the
ensemble cast of Diego Quemada-Diez’s La
Jaula de Oro won the Talent Award in the Un
Certain Regard category.
The permanent collections
and temporary exhibitions of
the Soumaya in Mexico City
are well worth a visit, but the
museum building itself is a
work of art, as confirmed by the
150,000 votes that won it the
Architizer A+ Award in 2013.
Of the 87 buildings
from 52 categories —which
ranged from towers, apartment buildings, memorials,
chapels, public buildings and
convention centers designed
by firms like OMA, Ramstad
carlos mejía greene
CINEMA
photo
courtesy of festival de cannes
Architects, Plasma Studio,
JDS Architects and Henn
Architekten, among others— the Architizer A+ jury
selected the Soumaya for its
unusual shape and the technology it employs.
A unique synthesis of
imagination, elegance and
fantasy, the Soumaya won
the popular vote for design
in the Cultural: Museums
category.
www.soumaya.com.mx
CREATIVE INDUSTRY
www.festival-cannes.fr
www.tonicagdlac.com
50
June 2013
The world didn’t come to an end on December 21, 2012, but the prophecies of the Maya
did earn Mexico’s Canal 22 a prize for its 13
Baktún series on the Mayan calendar and the
creation myths of this ancient civilization.
The award was presented by the German
news agency Deutsche Welle, which aired the
series on its international radio, television and
Internet information service World Stories International Reporters.
All 13 episodes of 13 Baktún were broadcast on Noticias 22 and subsequently aired on
World Stories between April and September
2012. Deutsche Welle applauded the series
for “sharing events and characters that enrich
our world vision” and for the hard work and
effort put in by all the people and areas that
participated in its making.
Canal 22 is owned by the National Council for Culture and the Arts (Conaculta),
an institution of Mexico’s federal government.
World Stories - International Reporters is
a weekly program where journalists from different parts of the world share aspects of their
cultural identity. The news and stories it covers
reach over 70 networks in some 50 countries.
photo
photo
The streets and bars of Guadalajara,
Jalisco, are tuning up for the International Jazz Festival on August 2-11.
Organized by Tónica, a civil association formed by young musicians,
with the backing of the US consulate
in Guadalajara, the festival will feature artists of the stature of Peter Bernstein, Ben Allison, José James, Brian
Lynch and Michael Davis.
An International Jazz Seminar
will be held as part of the festivities,
with conferences and an educational
program that includes an audio production and engineering seminar and
several intensive workshops with
some of the world’s most talented
jazz players. Music industry professionals will have the opportunity to
attend round tables hosted by prestigious exponents of the genre, while a
film program is just one of the fringe
activities on offer in this quixotic encounter between the city and the sensual world of jazz.
miguel malmeida
Mexico Gets
All Jazzed Up
courtesy of canal 22
Canal 22
Turns Potential Apocalypse
to its Advantage
MUSIC
www.canal22.org.mx
www.dw.de
June 2013
51
Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle
The Lifestyle | Negocios ProMéxico
courtesy of london mexfest
photo
photo
Hot on the heels of
its initial success, the
London MexFest will be
spicing up life for Brits
and visitors to London
with a choice selection
of Mexican film, music,
art and food.
At the Royal Academy of Arts (RA), architects Víctor Legorreta, Michel Rojkind and
Miquel Adrià will be airing their views on contemporary Mexican architecture and bilateral
cooperation mechanisms between Mexico, the
United Kingdom and the creative industries.
One example of such cooperation is Torre
Bancomer, a project currently being executed
by Legorreta’s studios and the British architect
Richard Rogers.
Mexican artists Daniel Guzmán and Pablo
Delgado will be displaying works made expressly for the London MexFest and Gil Cerezo and Mono Blanco, a folk band from Veracruz, will be performing live.
Bringing the show to a close on a high
note, a nighttime extravaganza of Mexican
food and music will be held at the Victoria &
Albert Museum.
The festival enjoys the backing of institutions like ProMéxico, the National Council for Culture and the Arts (CONACULTA),
the Tourism Board, Marca País, Arquine, the
Mexican embassy in the United Kingdom, the
British embassy in Mexico, Special Envoy to
Mexico Baroness Bonham Carter and British
Ambassador to Mexico Judith Macgregor. The
hope is that, in the longer term, constant exposure to contemporary Mexican culture will
help strengthen cultural, diplomatic and trade
ties between the two nations. N
Mexico Gets Creative
in London
52
photo
shown, including the movies of mythical Mexican wrestler El Santo. This year’s program was
put together by the Morelia International Film
Festival (FICM), Canana productions and the
Ambulante documentary festival, and will include 22 feature films and three programs of
short films by famous home grown directors
like Michel Franco, Otilia Portillo and Diego
Luna, to be screened over four days at various
venues in London.
On July 12, at the Rich Mix cultural center in Shoreditch –a trendy multicultural district in London’s East End– you can catch a
series of conferences and panels on the film
and tourism industries. Mexican and British
film experts will be discussing investment programs, distribution channels, financing and
co-productions, while tour operators, travel
agencies and specialized media will be introduced to the new cultural and luxury tourism
products Mexico has to offer, including destinations suitable for film locations.
photo
Mexico will be crossing the Atlantic and
taking up temporary residence in London this
July 11-14 to celebrate the MexFest cultural
festival, which features an exciting program
of Mexican film, art, music, architecture, gastronomy and tourism.
“Culture for exchange” within a framework of bilateral cooperation is the motto of
this year’s MexFest, where Mexico’s creative
industries will have the chance to prove they
can be counted among the best in the world.
The goal is to promote investment opportunities for British companies in Mexico and
serve as a platform for Mexico’s cultural enterprises looking to invest in Great Britain.
MexFest was first held as part of Mexico’s
official presence at the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, a program of cultural events across the
United Kingdom that took place alongside the
2012 Summer Olympics.
In 2012, some 50 Mexican documentaries,
feature films, short films and sci-fi classics were
maría beckmann
Make a date for the second week of July 2013, when Mexico will be showcasing its
creative industries at the London MexFest.
June 2013
mexfest.mx
June 2013
53
photos
courtesy of daniela villegas
“I try to make jewelry
with a sense of fun”
For Mexican designer Daniela Villegas working with jewelry isn’t work at all, but rather
a chance to set her passion in gold and precious stones. It is that same ornamental
appetite that has taken her to fashion runways and red carpets the world over.
by antonio vázquez
It all began with beads and elastic thread.
As a young girl, Mexican jewelry designer Daniela Villegas would spend hours
making accessories, which she would sell
to her family in order to buy toys. Today,
the earrings, necklaces, rings and other
pieces made by that same girl are worn
by Hollywood celebrities like actresses
Salma Hayek and Julianne Hough.
The beads have been replaced by
gold, opals and rubies, but the creative
spirit that transforms them has remained
unchanged. For Daniela, designing jewelry is a fun activity that calls into play
her own life experiences, the customer’s
personality, the essence of the metals and
precious stones she works with and symbols of nature.
Los Angeles, California, where she
currently resides, has become a showcase for her jewelry, inimitable works
crafted with sensitivity and passion and
that sell for as much as 50,000 usd
apiece in stores in the US, Spain, France
and Saudi Arabia.
“I try to make jewelry with a sense of
fun,” says Daniela Villegas in interview
with Negocios. Playful pieces that some
would kill to have dangling from their ears!
54
—When did you know you wanted to be a
jewelry designer?
I’ve always been fascinated by jewelry,
ever since I was a little girl. My grandmother and great-grandmother collected
jewelry and I always wanted to make
something for them. I started out with
beads and elastic thread when I was 10.
I’d play at making bracelets, which I’d
sell to my mom and other relatives to get
money to buy dolls. Then I’d immediately
start making new pieces.
I studied business administration but
never stopped making jewelry. During
my sophomore year, I realized I wasn’t
happy, so I started taking jewelry design
courses and working with artisans and
fashion designers in the Polanco district
of Mexico City.
I also worked closely with artisans in
the Historic Center of Mexico City and
took several courses abroad with jewelry
design companies.
All this time I’ve literally been chipping
away at rocks. Today I work with precious
stones and 18-carat gold. I also use organic materials like feathers and porcupine
quills, which I consider treasures of the
natural world.
I’ve been living in the US for five years
now. It’s been the perfect place to develop my own brand. I wanted to have my
own business and be my own boss and the
move to Los Angeles has facilitated that.
—To what extent are your designs influenced by Mexican culture?
I admire my culture and Mexican resourcefulness when it comes to solving problems.
When I was a kid, if your toy broke you’d
find a way to fix it, even if it meant sticking
it back together with gum. I love our innate
ingenuity and ability to laugh at ourselves.
It’s the same with jewelry design. I try
to make playful pieces. A piece of jewelry
isn’t an essential; it’s a luxury item. I want
my pieces to be witty and for people to
have fun wearing them.
That’s something I learned from the artisans in Mexico City’s Historic Center. It’s
a very open environment where you get to
meet many experienced artisans, and learn
from them. They become like your family. For example, I still have the magnifying glass one of those jewelers gave me 10
years ago. I guard it as if it were gold and
only lend it to people on the condition I get
it back. Working with those artisans was
June 2013
a memorable experience and the fondest
memory I have of when I started out in the
business 10 years ago.
—What metals do you use? Which gemstones do you prefer to work with?
I use 18-carat yellow, pink, white and black
gold. Sometimes a customer will ask for a
piece in platinum. I also work with precious
and semi-precious stones and natural materials. My favorite stone is opal. I love it. It
has a beautiful energy. The Aztecs called it
the hummingbird stone because the feathers
of the hummingbird reflect different colors.
Opal is the same. It’s the stone of human
emotions and, like the feathers of the hummingbird, the light reflects a different color
depending on where you are. I like rubies
too. It’s a stone of wisdom. It has that magenta hue where the seasons of love merge.
It’s also very feminine.
—How many collections have you designed
and what was your inspiration for them?
I have four collections. The first I did five
years ago, when I was starting my own
brand. It was a display of freedom and personal realization, like learning to fly with
my own wings.
June 2013
Then I did one inspired by tiny insects,
how they represent a balance between human beings and nature.
After that I did a porcupine collection.
The porcupine is very much in evidence
in American culture. For example, on totem poles the porcupine is an invitation
to play. The chiefs of Native American
tribes would crush the quills of the porcupine and turn them into thread to protect
themselves from bad vibes or what we in
Mexico call the “evil eye”.
Then I did a collection based on sea
monsters, those creatures that inhabit the
depths of the ocean. It was inspired by
that world we can’t see, but that is nonetheless part of our planet.
Nature has always had a place in my
collections. I’ve always been a fan of
the great outdoors. As a kid, I’d go to a
ranch, ski, sleep in a tent… Even today
in Los Angeles I’m constantly exposed to
nature: in the mornings, I go hiking in
the mountains and then to the beach for
a swim. It inspires me and helps replenish my energies.
Although my collections are permanent, I am forever evolving. I make a conscious effort to expand my horizons, be
original, and experiment with new things.
Right now I’m working on a new series, a
50-piece collection that will be shown at
Paris Fashion Week this September.
—Are Daniela Villegas’ pieces one of a kind?
Around 95% of my pieces are one of a
kind. I don’t have many molds. Nearly
all my jewelry is handcrafted, although I
print some molds in 3D using computer
images.
I love seeing the process through
from beginning to end: mixing the gold,
weighing it, trying not to waste material
or stones and generally making sure everything is as perfect as can be to achieve
the best possible result. I spend all day
every day designing and making pieces
for stores and specific customers. I’ve
added nine new pieces to my four collections. I also have private customers who
want a personalized design: a hippopotamus, an elephant, a geometrical figure…
I try and make something special
for everyone who comes to me. No one
needs a piece of jewelry like you need
food or water but at the end of the day
it’s an investment and I want my jewelry
to be exclusive. I want it to serve as a
55
ing in Mexico. Some days I don’t speak
a word of English because there are so
many Mexicans here. Plus I’m three
hours from Mexico City, so I can come
and go on the same day. It’s a city that’s
been a great source of inspiration, that’s
opened its arms to me and where I’ve
found a fantastic work team. Moving
here was a stroke of good luck and everything fell into place perfectly.
“I try to make playful pieces.
A piece of jewelry isn’t an
essential; it’s a luxury item. I
want my pieces to be witty
and for people to have fun
wearing them.”
reminder to the wearer, to have a unique
energy, something they can hand down
to their daughter or niece.
That’s why I like to talk to my customers and find out what feelings they
want the piece to emanate. In the end,
the design is mine but inspired by someone else’s life experience and story.
—Why did you decide to settle in Los
Angeles?
I moved to Los Angeles because my husband lived here. He’d been living in LA
for 20 years. It was a natural step, although sometimes I feel like I’m still liv-
56
—What does it feel like to be a famous
designer?
It’s the best feeling ever. I’m doing what I
love and it doesn’t even feel like work. I
enjoy it so much I feel blessed. It’s a job
that’s given me the chance to meet some
great, interesting people and you can’t put
a price on that. N
June 2013
courtesy of el camaleón mayakoba
by patricia peña
photo
—Several Hollywood celebrities have worn
your jewelry. Who was the first actress to
buy a Daniela Villegas piece and how did
the trend catch on?
I live in Los Angeles, home of the movie
industry. Initially, it was the stores that
sell my jewelry that supported me by affording me access to the press. My friends
were also a great help in advertising me
by word of mouth. “Daniela makes this
jewelry,” they’d say, and that’s how people became familiar with my work and
started showing an interest in it.
The first actress to wear my jewelry
was Salma Hayek. In 2009 she asked me
to design her necklace for the Oscars.
Then other celebrities started turning up
at my doorstep. Like I said, I attribute
it to the support of the stores that carry
my jewelry and my friends. I also wear
my own jewelry, which is the best way of
getting it out there. I’ll be eating out at a
restaurant and someone will come over
and ask who made the ring I’m wearing,
that they love it, and I’ll say I made it
myself. It’s happened to me with loads of
famous people.
It’s a question of luck. I think my timing was right.
I made a pair of earrings for Julianne
Hough for the Golden Globes. I designed
them in an hour. It was eight o’clock on
a Friday morning and the Golden Globes
were the following Sunday. I had to melt
the gold and cut and mount the stones… it
was a feat of teamwork and the end result
was a pair of earrings that climb up the
back of the ear and hug its flap.
Mexico Gets the Grass Growing
In Mexico, there is a before and an after
Lorena Ochoa. Five time winner of the
Junior World Golf Championships and
top ranked female player in the globe
from April 2007 up until her retirement in
2010, Ochoa single handedly made golf a
household sport in her native Mexico.
Ochoa was born with a silver club in
her hand. As a child, when she wanted to
practice, all she had to do was open her
back door and she’d find herself in the
Guadalajara Country Club, which was the
city’s only golf course at the time. The rest
can be attributed to discipline. At age six,
she won her first state event and went on
June 2013
to take her first national event at seven. After winning five consecutive titles at the Junior World Golf Championships, in April
2007 she overtook Annika Sorenstam to
become the world’s number one ranked
professional female golfer. That same year,
she beat Sorenstam’s record and became
the first woman golfer ever to earn 4 million usd in a single season. She remained
at the top of her game until she announced
her retirement in 2010.
Before Lorena, golf wasn’t a common
word in the lexicon of the average Mexican. Today there isn’t a state in the country
that doesn’t have a golf course.
On the stroke of Lorena’s success, the
golfing world turned its gaze to Mexico and
Mexican architects their attention to the
fairway. Golf course projects emerged in
cities large and small. For example, Jalisco,
Lorena Ochoa’s home state, had only two
courses but now boasts 30, six of which
host international events.
Mexico has long and short courses;
courses with fast greens and slow ones. Some
bear the signature of the world’s top golf
course architects and most offer spectacular
panoramic views, be it of forests, jungles,
oceans, lakes, lagoons or cityscapes. All
courses that are crying out to be played on!
57
Guadalajara Country Club
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Las Misiones Club Campestre
www.mayakoba.com
photo
June 2013
photo
and other distinctive hazards like the cenote (underwater sinkhole) in the middle
of the fairway of the first hole.
The Camaleón’s signature hole is the
15th, a par three hole whose green is
perched on the edge of the Caribbean. In
the distance, players can admire one of
the largest coral reefs in the world and
the island of Cozumel.
photo
Lorena Ochoa and America’s Greg Norman designed this 1 billion usd course
for the Mayakoba resort on Mexico’s
Caribbean coast.
El Camaleón is the PGA Tour site for
the Mayakoba Classic, the only official PGA
Tour event held outside the US or Canada.
At 7,000 yards, this 18 hole, par 72
course winds over 400 hectares, past thick
mangrove swamps, tropical jungle, dunes,
lagoons, stretches of white sand coastline
El Tamarindo
La Manzanilla, Jalisco
International golf course architect David Fleming opted to
preserve as much as possible of
El Tamarindo’s natural beauty.
Located in the Costa Alegre
region of Jalisco, between the
beach destinations of Puerto
Vallarta and Manzanillo, this
18 hole, par 72 course covers
826 hectares.
Here the ocean likes to join
in play, splashing golfers at the
9th hole or causing them to stop
and contemplate their paradisiacal surroundings at the 11th.
The longest hole, a par five, offers 47 yards of vistas of the Pacific’s rocky coasts.
Rated among the most spectacular in the world by golfing
magazines, the fairways of this
6,750-yard course are lined with
Mojote and Cuba palm trees.
June 2013
courtesy of golf el tamarindo
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
photo
El Camaleón Mayakoba
www.gcc.com.mx
photo
refugio ruiz
www.lasmisionescc.com
like artificial lakes, rivers, streams and
bunkers.
The Seniors, the National Amateur
and the invitational tournament hosted
by former LPGA Tour member Lorena
Ochoa are just some of the events held
on this course, which was recently approved by American Golf Association
representative Patt Gross.
pablo lancaster jones
photo
Acclaimed golf course designer Robert
von Hagge saw the opportunity to turn
this snaky piece of land into a course with
incredible panoramic views of the Sierra
Madre Oriental in northern Mexico.
The 18-hole, par 72 course measures
7,051 yards from the championship tees
and features humps all along the fairways,
making it ideal to show off your swing.
Las Misiones is a professional course
that has hosted international competitions
like Las Misiones Grand Slam, where PGA
Tour players have crossed irons.
58
Time seems to have come to a standstill at
the Guadalajara Country Club. Its ancient
trees are now an oasis in the midst of a metropolis that has experienced exponential
growth over the last two decades.
Located in the city’s busiest financial
district, this 18 hole, par 72 course offers
6,839 yards for professional male and female players and 5,422 for ladies.
Imposing modern buildings watch
on as players tackle interesting hazards
courtesy of las misiones club campestre
Santiago, Nuevo León
59
Club de Golf Pacífico
Bosque Real
Punta Mita, Nayarit
Huixquilucan,
Estado de México
photo
courtesy of bosque real country club
photo
The Bosque Real Country
Club is one of those places
that is far enough from the
nearest city to make you feel
like you’re getting away from
it all, yet close enough to be
accessible. That city is Mexico City.
Located northwest of
Mexico City, Bosque Real
has 100 hectares of course
that meander through soft
slopes. Its 18 holes command
fabulous panoramic vistas of
the city below and there are
artificial lakes at holes 1, 2,
6, 7, 9 and 11. The Executive Course was conceived by
Nicklaus Design and is a nine
hole, par 35 course measuring
3,133 yards, with fairways
surrounded by trees, ponds
and streams. There is also a
family practice facility and
putting green.
www.bosquereal.com.mx
www.puntamita.com
El Tigre
Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit
Club de Golf México
courtesy of el tigre
courtesy of club de golf méxico
photo
Mexico City
photo
Ocean, artificial lagoons, mountains and
jungle are the distinguishing features of
this course, which hosted the Cup of Nations as part of the World Cup Championships.
El Tigre put players from Latin
America and the Caribbean to the test
and proved to the world that its 12 holes
represent a challenge as ferocious as the
Bengal tiger that graces the archway at its
entrance.
Boasting three bunkers on the beach
and six tee boxes per hole, this par 72,
7,239-yard ocean-side course is guarded
by buildings reminiscent of Mayan temples.
www.eltigregolf.com
60
courtesy of club de golf pacífico
A unique, par 72 championship course that plays along
7,104 yards, with eight holes
directly facing or alongside
the Pacific.
Surrounded by dense virgin jungle, the Pacífico stands
a mere 200 meters from the
coast and is one of two Jack
Nicklaus signature courses
in Punta Mita (the other is
Club Bahía), rated the world’s
number one golf resort by
golfers and golfing magazines.
The “Tail of the Whale” is an
optional par three 19th hole
located on a rock from where
you can observe the humpback whales that come to the
beaches of Nayarit in winter.
The course was meticulously planned to take into
account soil humidity, so the
greens and fairways would
have to be watered as little as
possible. Only organic products are used to repel insects
and keep its 26 hectares of native grass in pristine condition.
photo
courtesy of bosque real country club
June 2013
A pioneer in Mexico, this iconic par 72, 7,580-yard
course functions as the city’s lungs. The Mexican
Open is one of the most important events it hosts.
Deemed a great course for perfecting shots, visitors are generally impressed by its big old trees that
have witnessed politicians, celebrities and professional golfers from all over the world make ready
to swing.
In the half century it has been around, the
course has undergone only minor modifications,
namely to the 4th, 7th and 12th holes, which had to
be adapted to meet the requirements of invitational
international tournaments.
www.clubdegolfmexico.com.mx
June 2013
61
It takes around eight
years for an agave
or maguey plant to
become mezcal. The
mature plants must
pass through an oven,
fermentation tubs
and a still before they
reach the bottle and
are finally displayed
on the shelves of
exclusive bars in
Mexico and abroad.
Mezcal, Fire On the Tip
The wild but sophisticated bittersweet notes that characterize a quality
mezcal, produced using traditional methods, is what has earned certain
brands a place on the shelf alongside the most select spirits in the world.
by sandra roblágui
Some 100 certified brands of mezcal are currently
sold in delicatessens and bars in over 30 countries. Casa Mezcal in New York and La Botica
de la Condesa in Madrid are among the chicest
establishments dedicated to this Mexican elixir.
The success of mezcal can largely be attributed to the way it is made. Small-scale traditional processes are still favored because most
producers believe mass production and market-
ing would jeopardize the flavor of a fiery beverage whose magic is the fruit of patience.
Each batch of mezcal has its own distinct
flavor and aroma, depending on which one of
23 utilizable species of maguey plant –the only
raw ingredient used in the making of mezcal–
it is made from, the type of soil the plant grew
in, the kind of still used and the master mezcal
maker’s touch.
According to the blog for Mezcalito a punto
de veneno, a brand of mezcal from Oaxaca that
is highly praised by connoisseurs, “the flavor
and aroma of mezcal will vary depending on
whether the maguey was harvested in the wild
or cultivated; whether its flower stalk was cut or
not; whether it grew on a hillside, a gully, high
up in the valley or low down; and how much
sun it received during its life span. Other factors
include the water and type of soil it grew in, the
species and whether or not one single species of
maguey or several were used.”
To cut a long story short, every time you
take a sip of mezcal, you are sampling a boutique beverage.
Only regions that have been producing mezcal for centuries –the states of Oaxaca, Guerrero, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí and Durango
and 11 municipalities in Tamaulipas and one in
Guanajuato– were authorized to make mezcal
under the 1994 denomination of origin decree
issued by the Mexican government.
Mezcal as we know it today was first made
in Mexico shortly after the Spanish Conquest,
when Old World knowledge was applied to New
World ingredients. The process has remained
virtually unchanged since the agave of Mesoamerica was first distilled by the conquistadors
using technology they had borrowed from Arab
countries, according to Origins of Mezcal, an
essay by Guillermo Marín, former director of
the Center for Research and the Dissemination
of Mexican Culture at the Oaxaca Institute of
Higher Education (IESO).
62
June 2013
June 2013
It takes around eight years for an agave or
maguey plant to become mezcal. The mature
plants must pass through an oven, fermentation tubs and a still before they reach the bottle and are finally displayed on the shelves of
exclusive bars in Mexico and abroad.
Even in its most traditional form, mezcal
is experiencing a boom that started less than
10 years ago. In the words of a partner of La
Botica, one of the first mezcal bars in Mexico
City, “when someone would come into the bar
and we’d tell them we only sold mezcal and beer,
they’d leave. I had to sit down with each of those
first customers and explain to them the origin
and characteristics of what they were about to
taste. I spent eight months in a drunken stupor,
but it worked: those first customers came back
with others and passed on the knowledge.”
In 2005, La Botica was selling two beers for
every shot of mezcal. Today it’s the other way
around: customers are ordering two shots or
“caballitos” for every beer. La Botica has seven
branches, including one in the upscale district of
Polanco in Mexico City, all of which offer some
50 types of white, golden and aged mezcal.
Mezcal has won over drinkers in cosmopolitan cities, not just in Mexico, but around
the world. La Botica de la Condesa isn’t an
isolated case. To grasp the extent of the mezcal revolution, all you have to do is enter the
magic word “mezcal” and your city of choice
on any Internet search engine. And judging
from the number of enthusiasts out there, it’s
here to stay! N
63
At 37, Mexico’s Enrique Olvera
is well on the way to achieving
his goal of becoming the best
chef in the world.
A native of Mexico City,
Olvera studied at the Culinary
Institute of America in New
York. Even as a student, his flair
for cooking earned him repute,
finally landing him his first job
at the Everest, one of Chicago’s
most exclusive restaurants.
In 2000, Enrique Olvera
opened his own restaurant,
Pujol, in the Polanco district
of Mexico City. Thirteen years
later, Pujol ranks 17th on the
highly regarded San Pellegrino
list of The World’s 50 Best
by antonio vázquez
When the Spanish left Europe in the late 15th century in search of
new and exotic spices, they discovered Mexico. This encounter of
two very different worlds gave rise to the miracle of Mexican cuisine, which today enjoys enormous prestige.
From the humble quesadilla –a simple dish consisting of a
corn tortilla filled with melted cheese– to mole –a complicated
courtesy of josefina santacruz
“Eating isn’t just a necessity; it’s a way
of sharing,” says Mexican chef Josefina
Santacruz.
On her official Facebook page, Santacruz describes herself as a “guest by conviction” and there’s no denying Josefina has
a healthy appetite –one that doesn’t discriminate between the quesadillas, tacos and
other Mexican snack foods sold at street
stands and the dishes served up by the fin-
est restaurants in Mexico, China, Vietnam,
Thailand and the US.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute
of America, Santacruz has left her mark
on restaurants in Cancún, Mexico City,
Denver, Washington and New York,
where she was executive chef of Pámpano from 2003 to 2008.
Today, she works her magic at Dumas
Gastronomía y Vinos in the Polanco district
in Mexico City, which offers a gourmet
“menu du jour” to go.
dumasgourmet.com
José Ramón Castillo
The Chocolate Guru
Benito Molina
Ensenada in an Oyster Shell
www.rmanzanilla.com
June 2013
courtesy of josé ramón castillo
José Ramón Castillo makes
irresistible chocolate-flavored
gems that tantalize the palate. You can sample his creations at his confectioner’s,
Que bo!, which means “Delicious!” in Catalan.
At the tender age of 23,
Castillo was the first Mexican to earn the title “Young
Catalonian Cook” at the
Barcelona Cooking Championship.
A graduate of the Ambrosía catering school in
Mexico City, Castillo went
on to specialize at the Ritz
Escoffier in Paris, while the
Sant Pol University School of
Hotel Management, Catering
photo
photo
courtesy of benito molina
No one handles seafood like Benito Molina.
This Mexican chef graduated from the New
England Culinary Institute in the US, where
he learned the most sophisticated of French
techniques; techniques he has since translated
to his own particular brand of cuisine.
On his return, Molina worked at several
restaurants in Mexico until his spirit of adventure led him to Ensenada, Baja California.
Here he met Chef Solange Muris. The
couple got married and embarked on the
joint adventure of opening their own restaurant: Manzanilla.
In 2004, the US version of the cooking
magazine Saveur included Molina’s charcoalgrilled oysters on its list of the 100 best
dishes in the world.
64
www.pujol.com.mx
photo
Josefina Santacruz
Gourmet Meals to Go
concoction that contains a couple of dozen ingredients–, Mexico is
a treasure trove of dishes that are just as delicious whether they’re
served up in the family restaurants of small towns or five-star establishments in the city. We bring you 10 chefs who have dedicated
their careers to creating delectable dishes and who have put Mexico
firmly on the international culinary scene.
Restaurants 2013, compiled
by some 800 industry leaders
and experts.
Attention to detail and
ingredients carefully chosen
from Mexico’s well stocked
pantry are the secret to Olvera’s innovative cuisine, which
takes a modern approach to
traditional Mexican products, creating unbelievable
new flavors in the process.
Chia seed aguachile, beef
cracklings mounted on a
thick corn tortilla, fried frog
tamales, beef jerky tartar,
purslane and prickly pear
noodles, cooked fig leaf
gourd and fermented plantain are some of the specialties you can taste at Pujol.
courtesy of enrique olvera
Enrique Olvera
Edible Perfection
photo
Mexican Chefs, Whetting
June 2013
and Tourism in Barcelona has
also recognized his talent.
The chocolate sensations
of this Mexican chef are a
combination of his vivid imagination and extensive scientific
research into Mexican cacao.
The cacao tree is native to
America and found abundantly in Mexico but the chocolate
Castillo uses at both branches
of Que bo! in Mexico City
comes exclusively from the
Mexican state of Chiapas.
José Ramón Castillo
is deemed an authority on
Mexican cacao and chocolate, a product with which
he has formed an intimate
relationship, transforming it
from its liquid state into a
myriad of solid forms full of
flavor and aroma.
www.quebo.com.mx
65
Pastry chef Paulina Abascal has whipped, rolled
and baked her way to success.
When she was seven, she would sneak into
the kitchen to conduct experiments with sugar
and flour. Almost two decades on, she is an ambassador of the art of Mexican pastry making.
Pope Benedict XVI and Mexican mogul Carlos Slim are some of the rich and famous who
have had the added good fortune to have tasted
her desserts.
Paulina studied at catering schools in Mexico, France, Belgium and Spain. She represented
Mexico at the 2001 Coupe du Monde de la
Pâtisserie in France and has been showered with
acknowledgements, including a Gold Medal
from the Culinary Academy of France, which she
has been a member of since 2004.
Ranked one of Mexico’s top chefs by the
specialized press, Paulina has published several
books and has her own cook show on the El
Gourmet channel, to which 20 million viewers in
Latin America tune into regularly.
Patricia Quintana
Signature Cuisine
and Ancestral Notes
66
has positioned him as one of
the top chefs in the country.
Chávez has spent more
than half his life in the kitchen. At 16 he took a job as a
waiter because he wanted to
June 2013
courtesy of patricia quintana
photo
courtesy of paulina abascal
www.aquileschavez.com.mx
the heavy sauces and wellcooked vegetables of traditional French cuisine.
Author of 10 books,
Patricia Quintana has researched the smells and flavors that have filled kitchens
the length and breadth of
Mexico for centuries.
Her interest in Aztec and
Maya civilizations is reflected
in her many and varied
signature dishes, where she
approaches every ingredient
as if it were part of a huge
edible puzzle.
www.izote.com.mx
Martha Ortiz Chapa
The Art of Seduction
courtesy of martha ortiz chapa
Flaunting an Emiliano
Zapata-style mustache and a
larger-than-life sense of humor, Aquiles Chávez has revolutionized Mexican cuisine
with a unique concept that
buy a guitar. He now has his
own restaurant and television
show, El toque de Aquiles,
broadcast on pay television…
but he never did buy that
guitar.
Brains bathed in tequila
butter and served with meringue fritters, spicy lamb
broth and cheese stuffed with
seafood are some of his signature dishes.
Chávez attended the
Colegio Superior de Gastronomía in Mexico City and
paid his dues in kitchens in
India, the Netherlands and
France. He currently co-owns
Ló, Cocina de Autor in Villahermosa, in the southeastern
state of Tabasco.
Extrovert, creative and
fun to be around, Chávez
incorporates these personality traits into every dish that
comes out of his kitchen, ensuring his guests a positively
exceptional experience.
photo
photo
courtesy of aquiles chávez
paulinabascal.com
Aquiles Chávez
Festive Food
The flavors of Mexico condensed on a plate. This is
what patrons can expect to
find at Izote, a restaurant in
Mexico City run by Patricia
Quintana, one of Mexico’s
most internationally acclaimed chefs.
Perfection is the signature of this female chef
who founded the Escuela de
la Alta Cocina Mexicana,
a catering school highly
influenced by the French
nouvelle cuisine movement
of the 1970s that Quintana
herself was trained in and
that favors light dishes over
photo
Paulina Abascal
The Sweet Taste
of Success
Feminine, sensitive, refined.
These are just some of the
adjectives that could be used
to define the creations of Martha Ortiz Chapa, who adds a
personal touch to every dish
she serves up at her restaurant,
Dulce Patria, in Mexico City.
Martha first began dabbling in the world of Mexican
cuisine by helping out at family
banquets. Before long, she had
taken over the entire kitchen.
Daughter of the famous
Mexican artist Martha Chapa,
this chef is a natural when it
comes to creating irresistible
dishes. With no formal training
to speak of, Martha relies solely on her intuition and highly
developed sense of taste.
Dulce Patria takes local
fare and turns it into an erotic
experience capable of satisfying
the most demanding of palates.
www.dulcepatriamexico.com
June 2013
67
Negocios ProMéxico
Para Exportadores
courtesy of ricardo muñoz zurita
In October 2001, Time Magazine called him a
“prophet and a preserver of a culinary tradition”. After studying in San Diego, New York
and Paris, he returned to his native Mexico,
where he proceeded to put Mexican cuisine on a
pedestal.
Often referred to as “the anthropologist”
of Mexican cuisine, Ricardo Muñoz Zurita has
made an invaluable contribution to Mexico’s
rich culinary tradition at his three restaurants
in Mexico City (Azul y Oro, Azul Condesa and
Azul Histórico).
A compendium of knowledge, this particular
chef is also a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and has
some 15 publications to his name, several of
which have been translated into English.
In 2002, Gatopardo magazine rated Muñoz
Zurita one of the top 24 chefs in Latin America,
while publications like The Wall Street Journal,
The New York Times and The New Yorker have
been following his career with interest.
www.cafeazulyoro.com
Mónica Patiño
The World on a Plate
photo courtesy of mónica patiño
For the last 20 years, Mónica Patiño’s
dishes have been transporting her patrons
to different parts of America and Europe.
After training at L’École de Cuisine La
Varenne in Paris, in 1978 she went on to
open her own restaurant, La Taberna del
León, in Valle de Bravo, Estado de México.
In the 1980s, she returned to France to
specialize in desserts. Ten years later, she
represented Mexico at international food
festivals in Europe and Asia with resounding success.
Bolívar 12, MP Café Bistro and Naos
soon opened their doors, but since 1994
she has been focusing her energies on the
Mexico City branch of La Taberna del
León.
Mónica Patiño is rated one of the top
20 chefs in Mexico. In addition to hosting
her own television shows, she has authored
more than a dozen books.
www.latabernadelleon.com.mx
68
June 2013
foto archivo
photo
Ricardo Muñoz Zurita
An Anthropologist
in the Kitchen
La creciente competencia en los
mercados internacionales así como las
características del sector agroalimentario
en México, hacen de la innovación
tecnológica una necesidad estratégica
para asegurar su sostenibilidad a largo
plazo.
La importancia
de la biotecnología
alimentaria en México
78
Una cosecha
de escala global
México:
Tendencias del
mercado de
alimentos:
72
74
El panorama
estadounidense
japón:
Una alternativa para la
exportación de agro
productos mexicanos
76
BREVES
AUTOMOTRIZ
ALIANZA SOBRE RUEDAS
foto cortesía de general motors
Nissan Mexicana fabricará para General
Motors la van Chevrolet City Express, un
vehículo de carga, que será producido en la
planta de la automotriz japonesa en Morelos y que se comercializará en Estados Unidos y Canadá.
El City Express es un pequeño vehículo de carga que está basado en el Nissan
NV200, y General Motors estima que podría
salir a la venta en otoño de 2014.
www.nissan-global.com
www.gm.com
COMERCIO DETALLISTA
LOWE’S INVIERTE
En Nueva Tienda
foto cortesía de lowe’s
Lowe’s, el segundo minorista
global dedicado a la construcción y decoración de hogares y
negocios, abrió su tercera tienda en Monterrey, Nuevo León
y la sexta a nivel nacional, con
una inversión de 25 millones
de dólares.
www.lowes.com
CONSTRUCCIÓN
La multinacional Cemex
proveerá alrededor de
130 mil metros cúbicos de
concreto especial para uso
marítimo, para la construcción de la nueva fase de la
Cinta Costera de Panamá,
uno de los proyectos de
infraestructura y movilidad
más importantes en ese país
centroamericano.
www.cemex.com
foto cortesía de cemex
CEMEX PRESENTE
En Panamá
Negocios ProMéxico | Para Exportadores
Para Exportadores | Negocios ProMéxico
foto archivo
México:
Una cosecha
de escala global
La gran demanda de
productos agroalimentarios
en el globo, la gran
diversidad climática de
México, que le permite
producir distintos tipos
de alimentos frescos y
procesados durante todo el
año, y el acceso preferencial
del país a los mercados más
grandes como Norteamérica
y la Unión Europea, hacen
que las perspectivas para
el sector agroalimentario
mexicano sean muy
positivas.
El sector agroalimentario mexicano
se perfila para consolidarse en los
mercados internacionales en los
próximos años. La creciente demanda
de alimentos en los principales
mercados del mundo y las ventajas
comparativas de México, son factores
que pueden contribuir a ello. La clave
está en que las empresas mexicanas
fortalezcan su vocación exportadora
y mejoren su competitividad para
incrementar su participación en el
cada vez más importante comercio
internacional de agroalimentos.
por francisco javier juseppe camargo*
En la actualidad, las principales economías
del mundo muestran signos desfavorables
de crecimiento que impactan negativamente en la dinámica del comercio mundial. Sin
embargo, un análisis reciente del comportamiento de las importaciones agroalimentarias muestra que este es quizá uno de los
sectores cuyo potencial podría superar con
creces la desaceleración económica global.
Lo anterior queda de manifiesto al analizar la tendencia positiva que han tenido
las importaciones de productos agroalimentarios en los principales centros de
consumo del planeta desde el año 2000.
Mercados como Estados Unidos, la
Unión Europea, China, Japón, Canadá y
Corea del Sur han aumentado sus compras
al exterior en los últimos 12 años; estas han
crecido a una tasa media anual de 8.92 por
ciento durante ese periodo. De acuerdo con
el World Trade Atlas 2013, el valor agregado de las importaciones agroalimentarias en
estas regiones alcanzó una cifra cercana a
los 500 mil millones de dólares en 2012.
China es el mercado más dinámico en
cuanto al crecimiento de sus importaciones
a nivel global con 21.04 por ciento del total, seguido por Corea del Sur (11.18 por
ciento), México (9.96 por ciento), Canadá
(9.35 por ciento), la Unión Europea (9.11
por ciento), Estados Unidos (7.69 por ciento) y Japón (4.49 por ciento). Hoy por
72
hoy, la Unión Europea es el mercado más
grande del mundo en materia de productos
agroalimentarios, seguido de Estados Unidos y Japón; pero el mercado con mayor
velocidad de crecimiento es el chino.
En el caso de México, aunque el país
representa un gran mercado importador
de agroalimentos, con compras que rebasan los 20 mil millones de dólares anuales
y una tasa media de crecimiento anual de
9.96 por ciento, su fortaleza radica en su
vocación exportadora.
La gran demanda de productos agroalimentarios en el globo representa grandes
oportunidades para México, ya que le
permite incrementar la presencia de estos
bienes en los mercados internacionales.
Además, gracias a que el país posee una
gran diversidad climática, se pueden producir diferentes tipos de alimentos tanto
frescos como procesados durante todo el
año. Si, además, se considera que México
goza de preferencias arancelarias en los
mercados más grandes como Norteaméri-
Junio 2013
ca y la Unión Europea, las perspectivas son
aún más positivas.
En este sentido, es importante destacar
el reciente acercamiento de México con
China, dado que abre nuevas oportunidades, sobre todo para el sector de los alimentos procesados.
Las frutas y hortalizas son los productos alimenticios más demandados del exterior, pues son elementos básicos de la dieta
de los consumidores en todo el orbe. Granos, oleaginosas, café, especias y hierbas
Junio 2013
aromáticas complementan los intereses de
compra de los consumidores. También se
realizan grandes pedidos de preparaciones
alimenticias a base de vegetales, carne, pescados y mariscos, así como de productos
nutraceutivos como antioxidantes naturales, licopenos y edulcorantes naturales
(miel de agave).
Por otro lado, en algunos segmentos de
consumo más específicos –por ejemplo, la
comunidad judía, que tiene un alto poder
de compra y demanda productos con cer-
tificación Kosher– existen nichos importantes que pueden ser aprovechados por
exportadores mexicanos. Tal es el caso de
los productos con certificación orgánica,
cuyo consumo forma parte de una tendencia mundial hacia lo saludable. Otro segmento con grandes posibilidades es el de
los alimentos preparados a base de “hortalizas chinas”, cuya demanda obedece a la
expansión de la economía China y la dispersión de sus empresarios por diferentes
partes del globo. Tan solo en Estados Unidos y Canadá se estima que existe un mercado de más de 600 millones de dólares en
importaciones de este tipo de productos.
Finalmente, los empresarios mexicanos
no deben olvidar al mercado hispano en
Estados Unidos, un segmento con el cual
no solo comparten una cercanía cultural
y geográfica, sino que además registra un
crecimiento cada vez mayor en el mercado
más grande del mundo.
Ante este escenario de crecimiento en
la demanda global agroalimentaria, el reto
para las empresas mexicanas consiste en
fortalecer su competitividad internacional
y desarrollar modelos logísticos eficaces
para desarrollar su presencia en los mercados internacionales. N
*Director de Proyectos de Exportación, Unidad
de Promoción de Exportaciones, ProMéxico.
73
fotos archivo
por ciento del tomate y el 67 por ciento
de las berenjenas, espárragos, apio, alcachofas (entre otros vegetales) que importó
Estados Unidos.
El sector de comida rápida constituye
otro nicho de oportunidad para las empresas mexicanas.
Por ejemplo, la papa congelada es el
tercer vegetal de mayor importación en Estados Unidos y México es su mayor proveedor. En 2012, este producto representó 11
por ciento de las importaciones totales de
vegetales de Estados Unidos.
El valor de las importaciones estadounidenses de frutas y vegetales frescos y procesados, demuestra su importancia en la alimentación de las familias norteamericanas.
En 2012 el monto de las importaciones
estadounidenses de verduras y frutas procesadas, incluidos todo tipo de jugos (con
excepción del vino), ascendió a 6.7 millones
de dólares, que representan 6 por ciento de
las importaciones totales de alimentos frescos y procesados en Estados Unidos.
La situación mundial y
las tendencias alimentarias
A pesar de que en 2012 el precio mundial de los alimentos bajó 7 por ciento, de
acuerdo con estimaciones de la Organiza-
ción de Naciones Unidas para la Agricultura y la Alimentación (FAO), durante 2013
se registra una tendencia a la alza. La caída
de los precios a finales de 2012, se debió al
débil comportamiento de la actividad económica mundial.
Se prevé que factores climáticos como
las sequías afectarán el abasto mundial
de alimentos y la importación será una
alternativa para garantizar el suministro
en algunos países.
México es el segundo proveedor de
alimentos a Estados Unidos, solo por debajo de Canadá. En 2013, la fruta fresca
y procesada, vegetales, vinos, azúcar, café,
ganado bovino, granos y semillas serán los
productos que obtendrán mayor participación en las importaciones estadounidenses
de alimentos.
Las proyecciones indican que en 2013,
las importaciones estadounidenses de ganado y productos lácteos ascenderán a más
de 900 millones de dólares. El incremento
en el consumo de carnes magras, libres de
hormonas y conservadores también es una
tendencia que cobrará fuerza durante 2013.
Finalmente, en el sector de alimentos procesados, las preferencias del mercado estadounidense se inclinarán por productos de
bajo contenido calórico, bajos y/o libres de
grasa, sodio y azúcares, sin conservadores,
colorantes ni saborizantes, sin glutamato
monosódico (GMS), con ingredientes naturales y preferentemente orgánicos.
Un ejemplo de estas tendencias se observa en las nuevas regulaciones que el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) pondrá en práctica en las escuelas públicas. Estas normas exigirán que
las botanas que se vendan en las cafeterías,
máquinas expendedoras y tiendas dentro de
las instalaciones educativas, contengan menos de 200 calorías y aporten cierto valor
nutricional. Asimismo, las bebidas deberán
limitarse a 12 onzas (355 ml) en las secundarias y preparatorias, y a 8 onzas (236 ml)
en las escuelas primarias. En consecuencia,
la venta de golosinas, alimentos y bebidas
que excedan dichas cantidades estará prohibida en los niveles escolares determinados.
Así, las oportunidades comerciales para
México se ubicarán en alimentos como yogures, bebidas y paletas heladas con jugo de
frutas 100 por ciento naturales, panecillos,
panes y bollos integrales, barras de cereal y
frutos secos, botanas horneadas y agua natural y/o de sabores sin azúcar. N
*Primer Secretario, Oficina de Representación
de ProMéxico en Dallas, Texas.
Tendencias del mercado de alimentos:
El panorama estadounidense
El mercado estadounidense representa una fantástica plataforma de oportunidades para aquellas compañías que estén
dispuestas a adaptarse a las nuevas regulaciones y ofrezcan productos nutritivos, naturales y orgánicos que cumplan con
los estrictos estándares de calidad necesarios para ingresar al mercado de consumo más importante del mundo.
por diana l. castañeda zúñiga*
En la última década, el comercio global, y
particularmente el de alimentos, se ha visto afectado por factores como fluctuaciones en los precios, subsidios, movimientos
del tipo de cambio, acuerdos económicos,
cambios en el ingreso y hábitos de consumo, los cuales han orillado a los países a
buscar alternativas para satisfacer las necesidades de consumo de la población.
En el caso de Estados Unidos, los consumidores demandan una amplia variedad
y calidad de alimentos, lo que impulsa la
74
importación de productos que no se producen en el mercado doméstico. Se estima que
para 2013, las importaciones estadounidenses ascenderán a 42 mil 100 millones de dólares, superando el pronóstico de 2012, de
41 mil 500 millones de dólares.
En 2012, los cuatro principales proveedores de vegetales frescos a Estados
Unidos fueron México, Canadá, China y
Perú. México ocupó el primer lugar, al proveer 60 por ciento de los vegetales frescos
consumidos en el mercado estadounidense.
Ese año, Estados Unidos importó de México 17.6 millones de dólares de alimentos
frescos y procesados. Las principales categorías de productos que Estados Unidos
compró a México fueron: vegetales frescos
(4.4 millones de dólares); fruta fresca, excluyendo plátano (3.2 millones de dólares); vino y cerveza (1.8 millones de dólares) y confitería, incluyendo chocolate (1
millón de dólares).
Dentro de la categoría de vegetales
frescos, por ejemplo, México produjo 85
Junio 2013
Junio 2013
75
foto archivo
japón:
Una alternativa para la exportación de agro
productos mexicanos
El país asiático representa una oportunidad única para el sector agro exportador
mexicano, pero también un reto en términos de adaptación para satisfacer los
requerimientos de un mercado exigente.
por rafael lópez inclán*
México destina a los países asiáticos un volumen reducido de sus
exportaciones. Datos de la Organización Mundial del Comercio
(OMC) muestran que solo tres de los 10 principales mercados de
exportación de México son asiáticos: China (cuarto lugar), India
(octavo lugar) y Japón (noveno lugar), siendo este el único país
con el que posee un tratado de libre comercio. En 2012, las ventas
de productos mexicanos a estos mercados representaron solamente 3.15 por ciento del total de las exportaciones del país.
Las ventas mexicanas a China e India son dominadas por
productos minerales, combustibles y manufacturas diversas.
Las exportaciones de agro productos a esos países representan
un sector de oportunidad para la industria. Para aprovecharla,
es necesario que los agro productos mexicanos cumplan con
los protocolos agropecuarios en materia de sanidad y prácticas
de producción que faciliten su importación en dichos mercados. Actualmente, solo algunos productos como la carne de
cerdo, el aguacate y la uva cuentan con dichos protocolos y se
exportan a China.
Por otro lado, las exportaciones mexicanas de agro productos a países asiáticos distintos a Japón enfrentan barreras
arancelarias y no arancelarias que dificultan su envío.
Desde 2004, México cuenta con un Acuerdo de Asociación
Económica (AAE) con Japón que le permite exportar una amplia
gama de agro productos. En 2012, Japón, el décimo país más
poblado del mundo, alcanzó un Producto Interno Bruto (PIB)
per cápita superior a los 45 mil dólares; pese a este potencial,
México registró en ese mismo año un déficit comercial de 14
mil 152 millones de dólares con ese país. Los agro empresarios
mexicanos deben ver en Japón una alternativa sólida para diversificar mercados comerciales y penetrar otros países asiáticos.
Japón presenta un diferencial de precios considerable que debe
ser aprovechado por México, y la calidad y condiciones geográ-
es para productos alimenticios con valor agregado, cuya demanda en Japón va en incremento.
La tendencia hacia la comida natural y orgánica crea un mercado para los productos con enfoque de cuidado a la salud. Ante
esto, deben desarrollarse productos con valor agregado vía la
transformación del ingrediente. Por ejemplo, los consumidores
nipones demandan mezclas de bebidas que les permitan aumentar su ingesta diaria de nutrientes de forma práctica y económica
en presentaciones individuales.
Japón destina 25 por ciento de sus ingresos a la compra de
productos alimenticios. Se trata de un mercado altamente competitivo y desafiante debido a factores como la relación entre la
distancia y el gasto logístico, un sistema de distribución costoso y exigente, el riesgo cambiario, las complejas regulaciones de
residualidad, etiquetado y cuarentena, y las fluctuaciones en los
costos de producción que afectan a los agro exportadores.
Japón destina 25 por ciento de sus ingresos a la compra de productos
alimenticios. Es el tercer importador agroalimentario a nivel
mundial y posee innumerables ventajas para los productores
mexicanos.
ficas de su oferta alimentaria lo posicionan por encima de otros
proveedores.
Las multinacionales japonesas de alimentos buscan dos alternativas en países como México: primero, proveeduría de alimentos
frescos y procesados; y segundo, inversiones conjuntas en el sector
productivo primario que garanticen un suministro permanente.
En la actualidad, Japón enfrenta una elevada insuficiencia
alimentaria. Datos de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas
para la Agricultura (FAO) muestran que en 2012 este mercado
importó más de 61 por ciento de sus alimentos. Japón es el mayor importador mundial de cárnicos, rubro que representa 20
por ciento de las compras totales de agro productos que hace
ese país, lo que coloca a ese sector como uno de los principales
nichos de oportunidad para México.
La creciente influencia de Occidente en la dieta de los japoneses ha contribuido a que se incremente el consumo de carne
en Japón. En 2012, las exportaciones de carne y despojos comestibles de México a Japón fueron de 443 millones de dólares,
que representaron solo 4.47 por ciento de la carne que Japón
compró ese año.
En el rubro de frutos y frutas comestibles, México exportó a
Japón 115 millones de dólares, lo que constituyó 3.63 por ciento
de las importaciones totales de ese país.
Una tendencia similar se observa en categorías como pescados y mariscos, así como en hortalizas y plantas.
Pero el mercado japonés no solo representa una oportunidad
para la exportación de materias primas alimenticias; también lo
76
Junio 2013
Junio 2013
No obstante, Japón es el tercer importador agroalimentario
a nivel mundial y posee innumerables ventajas para los productores mexicanos.
En 2012, el país asiático importó más de 60 mil millones de
dólares de agro productos. Las prácticas de negocio japonesas incentivan relaciones a largo plazo con proveedores, mientras que
sus condiciones geográficas lo obligan a una fuerte dependencia
alimentaria, misma que México debe aprovechar. Dada la experiencia comercial de México en Norteamérica, los agro productos
mexicanos son percibidos con alta calidad y preferidos ante mercancías asiáticas de bajo costo, pero que experimentan una mayor
incidencia en materia de residualidad.
Así, Japón presenta una excelente alternativa comercial que
requiere de un proceso de adaptación múltiple en campos como
etiquetado y codificación, envasado ambiental, trazabilidad, suministro, precio y calidad, promoción tropicalizada, producción
orientada a la satisfacción del consumidor y en transitar hacia
nuevas normas de calidad.
La innovación constante y una rigurosa metodología de atención al cliente deberán implementarse para lograr una entrada
exitosa al mercado japonés. Finalmente, la inversión de recursos
por parte del agro exportador mexicano deberá ser considerable
y perseguir un objetivo compartido con su contraparte japonesa;
una alianza basada en la dedicación que con seguridad dará frutos a largo plazo. N
*Socio - director, Asia Business Consulting.
77
foto archivo
Marco regulatorio en México
En México es posible el aprovechamiento sustentable de los organismos
genéticamente modificados (OGM), ya que se encuentran regulados por las
siguientes leyes federales y reglamentos compatibles con los acuerdos internacionales:
• Ley de Bioseguridad de Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (LBOGM).
• Reglamento de la LBOGM.
• Registro Nacional de Bioseguridad de los Organismos Genéticamente
Modificados.
• Ley Federal de Sanidad Vegetal.
• Ley Federal de Sanidad Animal.
• Régimen de protección especial del maíz.
• Protocolo de Bioseguridad, también conocido como Protocolo de
Cartagena.
La importancia
de la
biotecnología
alimentaria en
México
La creciente competencia en los mercados
internacionales así como las características
del sector agroalimentario en México, hacen
de la innovación tecnológica una necesidad
estratégica para asegurar su sostenibilidad
a largo plazo. Un elemento clave es la
existencia de mecanismos efectivos de
transferencia tecnológica.
por lizeth anaís balderas*
De acuerdo con la Academia Mexicana de Ciencias (AMC), la biotecnología es una multidisciplina que permite el estudio integral, la modificación y la utilización de los seres vivos del
planeta, microorganismos, plantas y animales.
A través de diversos métodos, la biotecnología hace posible aislar fragmentos específicos
del ADN (genes), modificarlos e introducirlos en
células de otros organismos para poder expresar
en ellos funciones útiles de forma estable.
En 2012 los cultivos biotecnológicos en el
mundo alcanzaron una extensión de 170.3 millones de hectáreas, lo cual representó un incremento del 6 por ciento de la superficie con
respecto a 2011. En total, 17.3 millones de
agricultores sembraron cultivos genéticamente
modificados en todo el mundo; de ellos, más de
15 millones viven en países en desarrollo. Por
primera vez en 2012, los países en desarrollo
78
cultivaron más transgénicos (52 por ciento) que
los países industrializados (48 por ciento).
Biotecnología agrícola
La biotecnología agrícola es el aprovechamiento
y mejoramiento de cultivos que permiten producir alimentos sanos, forrajes y otros productos (textiles, maderas, combustibles) de calidad.
La biotecnología ofrece mayores rendimientos y
disminución de costos, reducción del uso de insumos químicos, conservación de suelos, adaptación a condiciones climáticas adversas y reducción del uso de combustibles.
Algunos procesos en los que la biotecnología
puede ser utilizada son: la mejora de aceites y
fibras, mayor contenido de vitaminas y minerales, de fibra, sustitución de aditivos en alimentos,
maduración controlada y mejoras para el procesamiento de granos.
biotecnología en México
Bajo la Ley de Bioseguridad de Organismos
Genéticamente Modificados (LBOGM) y la
aplicación de su reglamento, tres agencias del
gobierno federal son responsables de la política
de biotecnología: las secretarías de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), de
Agricultura, Ganadería, Desarrollo Rural, Pesca
y Alimentación (SAGARPA) y de Salud (SSA).
Mientras tanto, la Comisión Intersecretarial de
Bioseguridad de los Organismos Genéticamente
Modificados coordina las políticas sobre bioseguridad de los OGM en México. Las principales
acciones de política se han encaminado a la investigación, protección de la propiedad intelectual y bioseguridad.
La legislación en materia de bioseguridad
ofrece también un enfoque estratégico e integrado para analizar y gestionar los riesgos relativos
a la inocuidad de los alimentos, la sanidad de los
animales y las plantas. El uso seguro de la biotec-
Beneficios de la
biotecnología
agrícola
• Cultivos que resisten
el ataque de insectos o
plaga.
• Permite controlar
malezas.
• Los cultivos no se
infestan con virus.
• Cultivos con mayor
contenido de precursores de la vitamina A.
• Productos con mayor
vida en anaquel.
Junio 2013
En la aplicación de organismos genéticamente modificados (OGM) a la biotecnología agrícola, se utilizan técnicas de ingeniería genética
para mejorar el cultivo a fin de agregar a las
plantas nuevas propiedades agronómicas como
la tolerancia a herbicidas, la resistencia a plagas
y la tolerancia a sequías, entre otras. A las semillas de estos cultivos, mejoradas genéticamente,
se les conoce también como semillas transgénicas o biotecnológicas.
Al cosechar frutos y legumbres se aceleran
procesos de maduración que generan cambios
en color, textura y sabor. Esto puede complicar
el traslado de los productos agrícolas y representa un porcentaje importante de pérdidas en los
mercados, especialmente en frutos tropicales y
verduras de cáscara delgada. Al detener parcialmente su maduración (modificando genes y proteínas), es posible alargar el periodo de frescura
del producto, permitiendo que se comercialice
mejor, se exporte y conserve su valor nutricional
y atractivo visual. El jitomate fue el primer ejemplo de la agrobiotecnología comercial y ahora se
aplica también en melones, mangos y papayas.
Los productos de la biotecnología agrícola
ofrecen beneficios a los agricultores y consumidores, lo cual genera ventajas económicas, sociales y ambientales. Los beneficios de los cultivos
genéticamente modificados (GM) radican en el
aumento de la productividad, mayor calidad nutrimental de los alimentos, reducción del uso de
agroquímicos, optimización del uso del agua en
cultivos y finalmente la reducción de la huella
ecológica de la agricultura.
Junio 2013
79
nología contribuirá a resolver retos vinculados
con el cambio climático y la contaminación ambiental.
En 2012, la superficie total permitida para
el cultivo de OGM en México fue de 420 mil
653 hectáreas. De los permisos otorgados para
este tipo de cultivos en el país (en total 58 permisos), 56.9 por ciento corresponden a la siembra de maíz GM.
Una gran parte del maíz amarillo GM que se
consume en México actualmente es importado
de Estados Unidos –a razón de 7.23 millones de
toneladas aproximadamente por año–, por lo que
es necesario avanzar en el uso de la biotecnología
para depender menos de las importaciones y fomentar la producción nacional.
Por su parte, la siembra de algodón GM representó 17.24 por ciento de los permisos otorgados
por SAGARPA, con una superficie total permitida
para la siembra de 417 mil 500 hectáreas.
La adopción del algodonero con biotecnología
impulsó el resurgimiento económico de la región
Lagunera en México. Las variedades de algodón
GM disponibles a nivel comercial son resistentes
a insectos, plaga y tolerantes a un herbicida. El algodón GM se cultiva comercialmente en Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango y
Tamaulipas. En Chihuahua se han logrado cosechas récord de 8 o 9 pacas (una paca es igual a 230
kilos de fibra) por hectárea.
Las tecnologías que se están utilizando en
México permiten el control de plagas que dañan
el cultivo de forma considerable, como el gusano
bellotero y el gusano rosado. Además, variedades
del algodón RI+TH poseen acción bioinsecticida
que permiten al agricultor controlar las malezas y
8
eliminar el paso de la maquinaria.
En 2012 también se realizó siembra comercial de soya GM tolerante al herbicida glifosato; la solicitud de este cultivo se encuentra
en procedimiento por lo cual no se conocen el
número de hectáreas. Este cultivo se encuentra en desarrollo en los estados de Campeche,
Quintana Roo, Yucatán, Tamaulipas, San Luis
Potosí, Veracruz y Chiapas.
Un futuro de posibilidades
La situación mundial respecto al abasto de alimentos es crítica, debido a múltiples factores
que repercuten directamente en la industria
agroalimentaria, como el aumento de la población y el cambio climático.
Así, la independencia alimentaria es un objetivo de política pública actual y para lograrlo
la biotecnología representa una solución real.
En México existen grandes capacidades
científicas en materia de biotecnología y, aunque los esfuerzos más importantes se han dado
principalmente en universidades y centros de
investigación públicos, comienza a haber
alianzas estratégicas entre empresas y academia que han buscado consolidar clústeres en
sectores como el de alimentos, químico, farmacéutico y cosmético, principalmente.
Aunque la producción a gran escala aún
no se logra, el país cuenta con una regulación
adecuada y una oferta educativa que complementa la inversión de empresas, lo que finalmente representa un mercado de gran oportunidad. N
*Analista del sector, Unidad de Inteligencia de
Negocios, ProMéxico
Junio 2013

Pro Mexico - ProMéxico

Transcription

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