Ecoripe Sees Strong Demand for Organic Ginger; Plans Future Organic Mango Program

Ecoripe Tropicals, a Medley, Florida-based produce distribution company, started an organic ginger program four years ago in response to customer demand.

“We began importing organic ginger from Peru during the 2019 harvest season due to our customers’ request,” says Marc Holbik, Ecoripe’s president. “We partner with a local grower and packer of the Pichinaqui district of the Department of Junin in Peru who have not only GLOBALG.A.P., GRASP, and NOP organic certifications but also a lot of love for working in our profession.”

Marc Holbik, President, Ecoripe Tropicals

VANCARD PERU, Ecoripe’s organic ginger partner, was established by agronomist Cesar Cardenas in 2018 after he’d spent several years working for a major organic ginger exporting operation. Cardenas grew up among Peruvian ginger farmers. His parents have been growing the root since 1995 using traditional methods, including contour hillside plowing (ginger can grow in steep areas), crop rotation, and strategically timed plantings that maximize local weather patterns (so irrigation isn’t necessary).

VANCARD team

“[Cardenas] opened his own packing and export company, naming it after his daughter (Vania Cardenas), in order to provide better returns to his parents and neighbors in the Pichanaqui district in Chanchamayo, Junin,” says Holbik. “Right now, they work with 102 certified local organic farmers and have 45 workers at his packing plant.”

Ecoripe’s imported organic ginger is available year-round, with peak promotional volumes in the months of August, September, and October. 

“[Cardenas] opened his own packing and export company, naming it after his daughter (Vania Cardenas), in order to provide better returns to his parents and neighbors in the Pichanaqui district in Chanchamayo, Junin. Right now, they work with 102 certified local organic farmers and have 45 workers at his packing plant.” - Marc Holbik

“Organic Peruvian ginger has a strong competitive advantage in the market due to its quality and price point,” Holbik says. “Growers in the Junin region of Peru have many decades of experience and a well-developed local and export market.”  

Ecoripe’s Peruvian organic ginger arrives at its Florida facility in 30-pound boxes and is then re-packed according to customer specifications, says Holbik. “Our QC team led by Eileen Ascui ensures that our final shipped product is up to our clients’ standards, and Isabel Hurtado, our sales manager, leads our sales team to fulfill our customers’ orders.”

Ecoripe QC team

Ecoripe’s organic ginger customer base is made up of wholesalers across the US as well as Whole Foods’ Florida locations.

Holbik says the pandemic caused Ecoripe’s ginger program to be paused for about a month, but notes that once it resumed, “demand was impressive, and we had a tough time keeping up.”

“Organic Peruvian ginger has a strong competitive advantage in the market due to its quality and price point.” - Marc Holbik

Though the rapid growth that occurred during COVID has leveled off, Holbik says he still believes “the organic ginger market is very healthy and will continue to gain market share versus conventional ginger and help push ginger sales in general here in the USA."
"We are proud to help contribute to its growth and acknowledge that many consumers of ginger value the NOP organic certification,” he says.

Ecoripe organic ginger

In terms of what’s driving the uptick in organic ginger interest, Holbik says, “We have a lot of demand from the Asian-American market as ginger is very important in Indian, Chinese, and many Southeast Asian cuisines. I also believe there has been significant growth in the health-oriented consumer for use in juicing.”  

Holbik says Ecoripe is currently looking to expand its organic ginger program, noting that he has access to a plentiful supply of the organic root. “Cesar, together with his associated farmers, have much more production than we are currently importing.”

Ginger field

In addition, Holbik says that Ecoripe is in the process of developing an organic mango program. He’s working to secure a solid customer base and says he hopes to have the program up and running by the end of this year. As is the case with the company’s organic ginger, its organic mangos would also be sourced from Peru.

Ecoripe Tropicals also offers a full line of conventional tropical and exotic fruits and vegetables, which it sources from local farms in South Florida as well as growers in 14 different countries.

“We are excited about the growth of our organic ginger as it allows us to push for more organic sales and opens the door to new organic projects,” Holbik says.