In 2009, Brazil’s stand at the Chocolate Show in Paris was small and went unnoticed. Today, 15 years later, Brazil is the country of honor at the event, which began this Wednesday, October 29, in the French capital.
The dialogue for this tribute took place between Brazilian businessman Marco Lessa, who lives in Portugal, and the event’s CEO, Gerald Palacios. “For us it is very important this year, in the 30th anniversary of the show. Brazil is a country that is growing, at least in recent years, in cocoa and exports and is also a country of the heart”, he tells the DN Brazil Gerald Palacios, who previously lived in Brazil.
For Marco Lessa, this tribute to the country, which has the biggest stand at the event, is “gratifying”. “It is a demonstration that the entire project, the entire trajectory was very well constructed, where it was very difficult, many obstacles were overcome, but it is a collective contribution that generated this result”, explains the businessman to the newspaper.
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The delegation, led by the immigrant, has around 100 people from Brazil, including producers, distributors and specialists. In addition to participating in the fair, which continues until Sunday, November 2, the mission will participate in technical visits and business meetings.
Both Marco and Gerard see holding these business rounds as one of the main advantages of this meeting between Brazil and Portugal in Paris. “The Chocolate Hall nowadays is a group. There are many people, companies, distributors, importers, who want to import products directly from the country to producers, including from Brazil”, explained the CEO.
“You see almonds being traded, Brazilian almonds awarded worldwide, more than 400 chocolate brands in Brazil, Brazilian chocolates also awarded abroad, deals being closed, people looking for Brazil’s stand and Brazil’s space to talk about exports to their countries”, highlights Lessa. “It’s a set of gains that leaves us, as I said at the beginning, honored, happy, grateful and with an even greater responsibility”, he adds.
And the partnership between Brazil and France with the “bridge” in Portugal must continue. Gerard and Marco have plans to hold a joint event in Brazil. “Our intention is a partnership, to take our contacts to another level, not only from the Paris Show, but also from the Brazil Show, bringing buyers, bringing those interested in cocoa and chocolate, generating a flow of business tourism from all over the world”, highlights the Brazilian businessman. “We have a lot of potential in Brazil”, highlights Gerard.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
*The journalist traveled at the invitation of Brasil Origem Week