The Brazilian Fruit Festival is sponsored by Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (APEX-BRASIL), the Brazilian Fruit Institute (IBRAF) and Carrefour. The partnership was launched in September 2004 and encompasses promotional marketing actions in 18 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. The objective is to expand and diversify Brazil's fruit exports, launching new products and companies and diversifying the destination countries.

     The first country to receive the project in 2004 was Poland, followed by Portugal and Spain. The project envisages actions involving the marketing, exposition and sale of products made available in exclusive areas of the stores and showcased in the hypermarkets' promotional newspapers and on billboards. In this environment, fresh fruit, juices and concentrates are sampled in Carrefour stores and demonstrated by a Brazilian sales staff, which is recruited locally. Public relations activities are carried out, aiming for the project to also reach the attention of opinion formers.

     Participating initially in the Brazilian Fruit Festival are roughly 60 producers of fruits such as mangoes, papaya, melons, grapes, apples, limes, apple, banana and white pineapple. Selection of the participants is carried out by Carrefour, which contacted fruit suppliers, especially through the Guarantee of Origin Program, and also by IBRAF, through the Integrated Sector Project that it develops jointly with APEX-BRASIL.

     The international market is very receptive to the flavors and diversity of Brazilian fruits. In Poland, for example, where the Brazilian Fruit Festival was initially launched, the stock acquired of some fruits that was expected to last one week, ran out at the start of the second day.

     The first countries to receive the Brazilian Fruit Festival on 2005 were Italy and France. In Italy, the promotion was carried out at 16 of the chain's hypermarkets, with national coverage. The stores were selected based on the criteria of stores with the best sales rankings and with the best locations for access to the target public. The start of fruit sales at the hypermarkets was launched simultaneously across the country. The fruits requested by the Italian chain included avocado, persimmons, green coconut, papaya, Perola (pearl) pineapples, Italia grapes, apples, limes and mangoes.

     In France the promotion was carried out in two phases and was part of the country's Year of Brazil commemoration. The promotion was carried out at 40 Carrefour hypermarkets and 250 Champion Supermarkets. Promotional actions were envisaged in Czech Republic and Slovakia (October); Switzerland (November) and Belgium happened on December.

     In 2006 another nine countries of Asia and Middle East, were Carrefour hypermarkets are located, will sell the Brazilian Fruits and receive the promotional marketing actions of the Brazilian Fruit Festival. That will also continue to be made during this year in Europe in order to consolidate open markets promoted on last year.