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Overcoming marketing barriers of COVID-19 Webinar

30.07.2020

On 21 and 23 July 2020, The Mountain Partnership (MP) in collaboration with Italian organic retailer and distributor EcorNaturaSì, held interactive webinars in English and Spanish for partners of the Mountain Partnership Products Initiative. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has added to and amplified existing challenges facing mountain producers as shown by the near breakdown of food supply chain and the food shortages in many developing countries. In a two hour session, EcorNaturaSì Agricultural Marketing Expert Carlo Murer responded to specific questions from MP producers regarding the difficulties they are facing in marketing their products during COVID-19. Murer provided advice on sales and marketing during the pandemic including a focus on selling staple products in local markets and choosing well established online retailers. Murer emphasized that although the situation for many remote mountain producers got even more difficult, it is important to pursue a long-term strategy and be brave by continuing to sell the product at a fair price.

The producers appreciated being able to speak directly with Murer about the issues they were having. It was also useful for them to hear about his experiences in Italy with EcorNaturaSí from the distribution perspective. According to a follow up survey, participants found examples of consumers and producers networks presented by Murer the most valuable. 

One producer stated: “I liked the innovative efforts made to support small producers in an unknown context [like mountains]”. 

The English webinar was attended by MP Members FOD Bio-KG Kyrgyzstan, ADI Kyrgyzstan, Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation India, TEBTEBBA Philippines, Organic World Fair and Future (OWF) Nepal, ADRA Mongolia, LEDEG India, Slow Food and Ulikan red rice growers Philippines. The Spanish webinar was attended by Fundación CoMunidad Panama, Fundación Pasos Bolivia and Ally Mishky /REDAR Peru.

The MPP Initiative plans to organize more webinars like these in the future to further develop our relationships with all the MP producers.

Learn more about the Mountain Partnership Products Initiative here

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