New Zealand will host the next World Avocado Congress, the first time the event will be held in Aotearoa.
The World Avocado Congress - held every four years - attracts thousands of delegates, with global experts, growers, marketers and investors all meeting to discuss the fruit and promote its consumption.
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On Saturday, NZ Avocado announced the event will be held in New Zealand in 2023, after we beat Mexico and Kenya to win the hosting rights. Attendees at the congress held this week in Medellin, Colombia voted for the next host.
The win is significant considering Mexico is the largest avocado exporter in the world while Kenya is the sixth. New Zealand is the ninth-largest providing about 2 percent of global avocado production.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern contributed to the campaign, sending a video message to voters inviting them to see New Zealand's beauty, adventures and friendly people as well as the local avocado industry.
NZ Avocado said the congress will provide an opportunity to show the world initiatives to support communities, land and economies impacted by growing avocados.
Also on display will be New Zealand's food safety and quality systems, and the ethical treatment of growers.
NZ Avocado chief executive Jen Scoular told Newshub that for the next four years, people in the industry will be talking about the upcoming congress, and therefore the New Zealand brand.
"You start the conversation about people saying 'I am planning to be in New Zealand in 2023.' We promote New Zealand as the host of the World Avocado Congress as a venue, but we also say this is the trip of a lifetime," Scoular said.
She said people in the industry weren't interested in competing against each other but in growing awareness of avocados.
"Avocado is a very trendy product at the moment and globally as an industry, all countries are trying to say let's not compete, let's make sure we are growing the pie, that we are increasing the number of consumers who know about avocadoes, know how healthy they are, know how delicious they are, know how versatile they are," she told Newshub.
"We know there are a lot of consumers that aren't yet consuming avocados that we believe can consume avocados."
The hosting bid by NZ Avocado was supported by Tourism New Zealand, the New Zealand Embassy in Colombia and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
New Zealand's Ambassador in Colombia, Lucy Duncan, hosted an event and spoke at this year's congress, supporting the bid.
Newshub.
