Análisis del impacto económico de la pandemia en las exportaciones del sector bananero ecuatoriano, año 2021.

Abstract

The banana industry in Ecuador is a fundamental pillar of its economy, with notable growth in recent decades. Ecuador, being the world's largest exporter of bananas, has seen how this fruit has been the engine of its economy, generating employment and wealth for millions of people in the country. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges for this sector, affecting both banana production and export. The present study focuses on analyzing the economic impact of the pandemic on the Ecuadorian banana sector during the year 2021. Specific objectives are proposed to understand the economic behavior of banana exports before and after the pandemic, as well as determine the percentage of decrease or increase in exports to the main destinations and its effects on exporting companies. The methodology used for this research is mixed, which includes the union of qualitative and quantitative, based on theoretical sources such as quantifiable and statistical data provided by state institutions. Jointly, we work with two techniques: interviews with 2 experts in economic science and foreign trade and surveys with 100 banana suppliers. The findings showed that, despite challenges such as stoppages of sales contracts, restrictions on entering the product into destination countries and rigorous phytosanitary measures, banana production was not interrupted at any time since exporting companies assumed biosafety parameters necessary for its staff and for the introduction of the product in optimal conditions to the international market, this means that there was no preminent detrimental economic impact on the banana sector.