The Philippines is participating at the Natural and Organic Products Europe (NOPE 2017) to be held in London, United Kingdom on April 2-3, 2017, as part of its efforts to seek more markets for local commodities abroad. NOPE is Europe's biggest trade show for natural products, health food and organic industries.

The Department of Agriculture is assisting eight SMEs whose export-quality products will be featured at NOPE. Participating SMEs are: Akita Herbal Products, Business People, Cocoplus Aquarian Development, Giga Natural Products Specialist, Healthy Sweet's Mindanao, Joyful Garden Farm Organic Farmers Association, Lao Intergrated Farms, and Tropicana Food Products.

“We assembled a new set of exhibitors for NOPE 2017 to allow equal exposure for more possible DA-supported companies,” said Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, who committed to be the top salesman for local produce.

“It is in keeping with our commitment to help organic, artisanal, natural, and indigenous food products enter the world market,” he added.

Coconut-based products are the key offering this year, taking advantage of the Europeans’ surging interest in virgin coconut oil, coco sugar and coco jam, said Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, DA’s Undersecretary for Administration, Agribusiness and Marketing and Regional Engagement (OUAAMRE).

Product lines include: coconut-based sugar, flour, dessicated, amino sauce, syrup, sap vinegar, chips, balls, milk powder, spread, VCO, water, fruit-based candies (ginger, guyabano, Moringa, durian, yam/ube, chocolate, etc), peanut butter, turmeric ice cream, tea, Muscovado sugar, fancy and organic rice (brown, red, pink and white), and personal and wellness products such as herbal supplement, oitment, oil, facial cream, soap, and butter.

“In fact, in last year’s NOPE, coconut products such as virgin coconut oil, coco sugar and coco jam made up a significant chunk of the estimated US$3.5 million sales generated by Filipino exhibitors,” Puyat said. Puyat, who is also the Chairperson of the National Organic Agriculture Board, headed the Philippine delegation in NOPE 2016.

Innovation, linkages

Promotional events such as NOPE always provide Filipino agribusiness firms with an opportunity to introduce and innovate on their existing products to capture the market, and to build linkages with their prospective buyers, Puyat said.

She cited the example of Pasciolco Agri Ventures from Quezon Province that was able to formalize its supply contract with UK health food and supplement retail giant Holland and Barrett during the market matching activity last year as part of the activities organized by the Department and the Philippine Embassy in London.

Aside from promotional activities during the exhibition, the DA will also help organize meetings between exhibitors and their possible distributors, according to the DA’s Agricultural Attaché Jose “Pit” Laquian.

Tour of several supermarkets and distribution chains around London will also be held at the sidelines of the exhibition to check on the latest trends and requirements of the British market.

Philippine participation in NOPE 2017 is being spearheaded by DA, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in London, DTI- PTIC London. The DA is represented by the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service, OUAAMRE, Regional Field Offices in Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Davao Region, and the Philippine Agricultural Attaché Office to Europe.

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