Organisations such as AgroCiclo and the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association - Europe made their case at a special conference on November 6 at the showcase at Canning House in London's Belgravia district.

And despite a disappointing turn-out, press and representatives from the organic industry were able to listen to the ambitions of the Latin American nation.

CFFA-E communications director Tommy Leighton surprised guests with statistics that people in Chile have a longer average life span than their counterparts in the UK, and the country has the highest rates of literacy and phone ownership in South America.

He also pointed to a free economy and good trading conditions in the country.

After listening to speeches from Leighton, Fernando Labra Hidalgo, Felipe Bañados and Pablo Ceroni Gaete, the panel was questioned.

One person in the room asked the panel how it expected Chile to compete with rivals Argentina – said to be two years ahead on organic apple production.

Leighton said: 'Chile is changing,' before highlighting the move from conventionally grown product to organic.

He explained the supermarkets were looking for 12 months supply of product and that Chile could help.

'Chile's reputation for producing quality product has gone up in the last three years,' he added.

However Leighton admitted that Chile must make the most of the organic boom, or risk 'missing the boat,' in what remains 'a finite market'.

In the showroom Euro-Chilean Organics (ECO) sales manager Erik Hendry said he believed the UK was a buoyant and profitable market for Chilean organics.

Overseeing the guests as they tasted some organic kiwifruit, honey and wine, London-based Hendry was quizzed as to whether the market would stay as strong were the UK to slide into a possible recession.

'Do not underestimate the prosperity of this country,' he said. 'There are some enormously wealthy families here in London. I don't see the market going down.'

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