Our Work

Exporta Calidad (Exporting Quality)

Activities And Approaches

Taking a “field to fork” approach, Exporta Calidad worked within the full supply and distribution system—or value chain—including growers/producers, packinghouses, marketers, and exporters. The program delivered technical training on improved technologies and farm, land, and water resource management. It worked with producer groups, cooperatives, and their members to help them meet international standards for safety, quality, and labeling.

The program used a combination of expanded traceability systems and intensive farmer training to ensure that food products being exported are grown, harvested, and handled under accountable sanitary conditions.

Summary

Exporta Calidad improved the quality and production of high-value horticulture products for domestic and export markets. Agriculture is the country’s second largest sector, and the Dominican Republic has some comparative advantages in the region: lower land and labor costs and shorter transit times to key export markets. But too much of its agricultural products are rejected because of food safety and quality concerns. This program increased the quality, productivity, and sales of four key agricultural products: avocado, cocoa, pineapple, greenhouse vegetables (tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers), and so-called oriental vegetables.

Results

  • $15 million in contract sales facilitated by the program
  • $2.9 million in public and private investment leveraged
  • 11,000+ hectares of land cultivated with improved techniques or technologies
  • 138,000+ metric tons of commodities sold by beneficiaries

Funder: USDA Foreign Agriculture Service Food for Progress
Project Duration: 2015-2021
Award: $16 million

Cocoa Studies

Impact

© 2008-2023 Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)