About WCO
Objective and MissionAbout WCO
The World Citrus Organisation (WCO) is the platform for dialogue and action for the global citrus community. The WCO unites citrus producing countries and citrus stakeholders to facilitate collective action in the citrus sector, for both fresh and processed categories.
WCO is a membership-based, non-profit association based in Brussels, Belgium. The WCO membership is comprised of citrus producer countries (full members) and stakeholders involved in the citrus sector (affiliated members). The Statutes of the association are available here.
An association for global collaboration
WCO facilitates member countries to better face common challenges and identify opportunities for the collective benefit of the citrus sector.
The citrus sector has been faced with an extensive array of significant issues of global concern over the past years. This includes growth in production, overlapping of seasons, changing climate conditions resulting in varied quality and biosecurity challenges, increased competition within the citrus category and between other fruit categories and food products as well as stagnating fruit consumption.
To better face these challenges in October 2019 representatives from Argentina, Chile, Italy, Morocco, Peru, Spain, and South Africa agreed on the need to join forces in a global cooperation to navigate the increasing complexity of the citrus market. Thus, WCO was founded.
WCO’s Mission
Specifically, the WCO’s mission is to:
- Discuss common issues affecting citrus producing countries.
- Exchange information on production and market trends.
- Foster dialogue on policy issues of common concern.
- Identify and promote Research and Innovation projects specific to the citrus sector.
- Liaise with public and private stakeholders on citrus-related matters to highlight the importance of citrus producers and the need for a fair return.
- Promote the global consumption of citrus.
