WAO Congress: 30 countries will export avocados on a large scale by 2030

October 7, 2026

The 2016 edition of Fruit Attraction opened on October 6th at IFEMA Madrid. The event brings together international producers, exporters, importers, and buyers until the 8th of the same month. The opening ceremony was led by Luis Planas, Spain's Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.

Organized by IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX, the trade fair brings together 2,500 exhibiting companies from 78 countries. The organizers anticipate an attendance of 121,000 professionals from over 150 countries, an estimate that will need to be confirmed at the close of the event.

The first few days of the trade fair have focused on meetings between suppliers and clients. Participating companies, such as Grupo Lucas, highlight the influx of professionals and the positive business prospects generated during the event's opening.

Fruit Attraction 2026: A key platform for the fruit and vegetable trade

The agenda combines aspects such as fresh fruit marketing, the auxiliary industry, logistics, and technological innovation. Regarding the international buyers program, 700 representatives from companies in 60 countries are expected to attend. China and the United Arab Emirates are participating as guest countries.

In this context, avocados had their own dedicated space for analysis prior to the opening of Fruit Attraction with the Avocado 2026 Congress, organized by the World Avocado Organization (WAO), along with Asociafruit and AECAM, in collaboration with Fruit Attraction. The event took place on October 5th at the South Auditorium of IFEMA.

The conference program connected three perspectives: changes in global supply, the evolution of the European consumer, and external factors shaping the market. Speakers included Eric Imbert, a researcher at CIRAD; Shelly Vorster, Managing Director of the WAO; and David Magaña, an analyst at Rabobank.

European avocado market: Consumption growth and new origins

According to data presented at the congress and reported by Fruit Today, the European avocado market volume grew by 16% in 2025. Globally, the industry is also on an expansion trajectory. Eric Imbert, a researcher at CIRAD, noted that the market has doubled in size over the last decade, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 7%.

The global supply also comes from a growing number of countries. According to data presented by David Magaña, in 2014 there were 12 countries exporting more than 5,000 tons of avocados per year; by 2024 there were 22, and it is projected that nearly 30 will exceed that volume by 2030.

Challenges of origin: Climate, logistics and projections of ProHass and Corpohass

The congress also addressed the capacity of the main origins to sustain European supply. José Antonio Castro, president of ProHass, explained that the Peruvian sector is working on a simulation that uses the 2023 El Niño event as a reference. He indicated that more precise data is still needed and that a reliable estimate for the next season would be available between March and April 2027.

From Colombia, Katheryn Mejía of Corpohass pointed out that a potential El Niño event in mid-October could primarily affect the size of the harvest, which extends until February. Regarding logistics, she highlighted Puerto Antioquia, which allows for transport from the producing regions to be reduced to less than ten hours, compared to the previous twelve to twenty-four hours.

The interventions thus added another challenge to the debate on growth: maintaining buyer confidence in supply, quality and consistency, aspects that Castro highlighted at the close of the meeting.

WAO Strategy: Consistent quality to build customer loyalty

The consumer was another key focus of the meeting. The research presented by the WAO identified differences between countries and highlighted health as the main reason for purchase in the ten European markets analyzed. The discussion also addressed how to sustain repeat purchases through consistent quality, proper aging, and availability.

The combination of these two events places two complementary tasks for the industry in Madrid: to connect suppliers and buyers commercially, and to understand how to support the growth of the avocado sector with a consistent supply and consumer experience.