Romanian delegation gains insights into the Spanish cooperative model

HORT INTEGRA is a branch union that unites a significant number of Romanian cooperatives in the fruit and vegetable sector under its umbrella. Its primary objective is to represent the interests of member horticultural cooperatives in their interactions with relevant public and private entities. These horticultural cooperatives face challenges in strengthening their market position in national and international markets and obtaining fair prices for the high-quality vegetables and fruit produced by their members.

Under the European Erasmus+ programme, Horti Integra initiated a strategic learning programme to provide their fruit and vegetable cooperatives with practical experience and strategies to strengthen their presence in this competitive market.

As one of the project partners, HollandDoor contributed to the early part of the programme in March 2025 with a week-long series of visits in Spain. This programme was co-organized by COEXPHAL, the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Organizations in Almería.

Over five days, participants were able to learn first hand about the Almería agricultural model and the strategies adopted by local cooperatives to cope with commercial practices, promote quality and sustainability and ensure fair access to markets. The programme included technical and commercial visits to cooperatives including Vicasol and Casi, greenhouses and leading experimental centres such as Las Palmerillas and IFAPA, as well as technical training in digitization in the sector, quality certification, biological control, traceability and marketing strategies based on brand value and sustainability.

HollandDoor is one of the main partners in this programme, which runs until 2026, and will further contribute by organizing a cooperative inspiration mission to the Netherlands and providing a practical guide packed with actionable tips to help the Romanian cooperatives address their specific needs and challenges and ultimately improve their market position.

For more information please contact Engelie Beenen