OUR
PURPOSE
The Southern Hemisphere Fruit Alliance (SFA) strives to further the shared interests of the fresh fruit industry in the Southern Hemisphere, working towards an enabling operating environment for producers and exporters by:
Connecting fruit producers and exporters from the Southern Hemisphere
… allowing them to work together on defining topics for the fruit industry such as inter alia sustainability, logistics, food safety and market access barriers.
Voicing the shared views of fruit producers and exporters from the Southern Hemisphere
… vis-à-vis inter alia national and international governmental and non-governmental organizations, industry organizations, standard setting bodies, the press, etc., to protect and promote the joint interests of its Members.
Monitoring and informing its members about any developments that may have an impact on global trade flows in fresh fruit
… including, but not limited to, legislative developments, free trade negotiations, private standard setting, etc.
HISTORY
In 1991, a number of leading trade associations from countries in the Southern Hemisphere founded the Southern Hemisphere Association of Fresh Fruit Exporters (SHAFFE), to create a platform to share knowledge and experiences, monitor policy developments, and address market access issues related to exports of fresh fruits. The secretariat of the association was based in Brussels, at the offices of Freshfel Europe, the European fresh produce association.
For over thirty years, SHAFFE acted as the voice of the fresh fruit industry in the Southern Hemisphere, thus becoming an influential reference point in the global fruit trade. In 2025, SHAFFE’s growth path led to its change of name to Southern Hemisphere Fruit Alliance, with an independent secretariat dedicated to the interests of the fruit industry in the Southern Hemisphere.