Ecuador’s Capacity For Strengthening Global Food Security

Overview

Ecuador is the world’s top exporter of bananas and ranks second in shrimp and canned tuna, offering a variety of these products to a growing number of international consumers. Amidst shocks in international logistics, The Business Year gathers key stakeholders to discuss Ecuador’s vital role in strengthening food security worldwide. Additionally, as concerns increase over better and healthier consumable products, this roundtable sheds light on local producers’ efforts to meet consumer demands in the most sophisticated foreign markets and how the country is advancing under the “Ecuador Premium and Sustainable” strategy and new trade agreements.

Speakers

Felipe Espinosa

Executive Director Amcham Quito

Felipe Espinosa

Executive Director
Amcham Quito

Felipe Espinosa Terán has a degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and a master's in industrial engineering from the same institution. He has occupied several top management and strategic positions of varied complexity in the pharmaceuticals, food, logistics, automotive, and healthcare sectors. He is currently the executive director of the Ecuadorian-American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM Quito).

Roberto Aguirre Chiriboga

COO NIRSA

Roberto Aguirre Chiriboga

COO
NIRSA

Roberto Aguirre Ch is COO at NIRSA, as well as taking the lead in the R&D and lean manufacturing process development areas of the company. He has a degree in international business management from the Blue Hill College and a degree in operations management from the IDE Business School. He joined the family business in 2005, where he started his career in the production and quality control areas.

Daniel Legarda

Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Ecuador

Daniel Legarda

Vice Minister of Foreign Trade
Ecuador

Daniel Legarda is an economist, born in Ecuador, and has an executive master's degree in business administration and several studies in foreign trade. Prior to undertaking the position of Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, he was executive president of FEDEXPOR. He has been linked to the country's private export sector for several years.

Vicente Andrés Wong

Commercial Manager Reybanpac

Vicente Andrés Wong

Commercial Manager
Reybanpac

Vicente A. Wong Cevallos is a master in science in food and resource economics and has worked for 8 years as Commercial Manager of Reybanpac CA, one of the main Ecuadorian producers and exporters of bananas. During this period, he has been responsible for banana sourcing, international logistics, and managing sales in strategic worldwide markets. He is also a member of the Board of the Chinese Ecuadorian Chamber of Commerce.

Iván Ontaneda Berrú

Minister of Production, Trade, Investment, and Fisheries Ecuador

Iván Ontaneda Berrú

Minister of Production, Trade, Investment, and Fisheries
Ecuador

Iván Ontaneda Berrú is a prominent businessperson in the Ecuadorian cocoa industry with more than 30 years of experience in the sector. He has a degree in business management from Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil. He also has an AS degree in business and management from ICPR Junior College in Puerto Rico. He describes himself as an agroindustrial entrepreneur focused on sustainable business models. His vision and leadership led him to become CEO and founder of Eco-Kakao in 1994.

Felipe Ribadeneira

President of the Board FEDEXPOR

Felipe Ribadeneira

President of the Board
FEDEXPOR

Felipe Ribadeneira Molestina is the President of the board of directors at FEDEXPOR. Prior to that, he was the president of FEDEXPOR from 2009 to 2016. Molestina is an expert in internationalization services, investment support, private- public negotiations, and foreign trade law. He specialized as a lawyer in business consulting at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. He also has a master's degree in economic law and public policy.