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8 Antonio Lavao | Frunet manager “The civil service turned its back on us, but not the customers” LAVAO CRITICIzES THE LACK OF AID FROM THE SPANISH ASSOCIATIONS; NEVERTHELESS, HE EMPHASIzES THE CONFIDENCE OF THE CUSTOMERS. By Daniel Lafuente and Manuel Flores F&H: Several months passed since the outbreak of E-Coli. Which is the present situation of your company? A.L: “At the moment we are happy, after what happened the confidence of the customers have come back which is the most important, and we are selling normally. The truth is that the whole team went through bad times and now we are more motivated than before”. F&H: “Frunet is an international reference in the production and commercialization of organic products. Which was your first reaction in view of the denunciation of the German Government when the bacterium was found in one of the cucumber shipments? A.L: “At the beginning we did not believe it; we thought that this could not be happening. We felt helplessness and frustration because we were accused without any proof. In fact, we were called assassins and nobody thought about if it was certain or not, everything was very unfair, very excessive and unprofessional on the part of the authorities and the German press”. Protocols F&h: Do you think that the protocols of action of the German Government were the rightest? A.L: “No, not at all. The German myth of the efficiency and seriousness was absent. They have F&H International 1 • November 2011 Interview managed the crisis very bad as much for us as for its own citizens, they were “groping in the dark”, and blaming on the Spanish producers when there was still people becoming ill because of the true origin of the bacterium, which they did not manage to find it. There was many disinformation and discoordination of the different German administrations. Really, it is a clear example of how not to manage the crisis”. F&H: Was your company the scapegoat of the crisis? A.L: “Without a doubt. After some weeks with the problem and the important pressure of the German press, they needed to focus the attention on other side so then they blamed on the “poor little Spanish”, because they cannot defend themselves. In addition, if they were in the rush and mistaken, there is no problem because they lead…” F&H: Would the reaction of the German Government be the same if the origin of the outbreak was in products of another country? A.L: “The origin never was in products of outside the zone of Hamburg. It is obvious for all that the origin was there. However, if they had accused to the French products, for example, in my opinion we think that they had not done it unless they were totally sure of it”. F&H: And if the outbreak came from a German product? A.L: “Of course the outbreak is in a product coming from Ger- many, is there any doubt?”. F&H: Frunet was not the unique company accused. Were right the steps taken by the other company? A.L: “It was a moment of much tension and each one does what he thinks he has to do in that moment. F&H: Did you feel protected and supported by the Spanish Agrarian Associations? A.L: “At no moment. This crisis has shown that this sector is not united and that the different groups walk in different ways. Everything is politicized, this is the way everything work”. F&H: And did you feel protected by the public Institutions? A.L: “The Government of Spain did not live up to the expectations, and I think that many people that suffered this crisis think the same like me”.
Interview “We had been for many years in this business and those people that know us know that we do the things well.” “This crisis has shown that this sector is not united and that the different groups walk in different ways.” “The German Government blamed on the “poor little Spanish”, because they cannot defend themselves.” F&H International 1 • November 2011 9
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Page 5 and 6: F&H International 1 • November 20
Page 7: The number of samples taken of ever
Page 11 and 12: aLMERia: 14 pER CENt LEss The last
Page 13 and 14: Tendencies CUstaRD appLE “MaDE iN
Page 15 and 16: France surpasses 2 kilos of avocado
Page 17 and 18: M Peter Horvath, here in Saba’s H
Page 19 and 20: Reporting On... NORDIC MARKETS Cent
Page 21 and 22: Intermarché The return to the chea
Page 23 and 24: Nature Choice More than 60 per cent
Page 25 and 26: This company that commercializes su
Page 27 and 28: IMAGE: Francisco Bonilla F&H Intern

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