Big Potential in Ecuador Shrimp

January 28, 2005

International business has fueled an industrial revolution that has bettered the lot of mankind worldwide. Now a great disaster shows how global business can create enormous humanitarian benefits as well.

This note just came to me from my friend and reader Willard Robinson who, after attending our business course in Quito last year, has moved to Ecuador. He wrote:

"Gary, Indonesia was the largest shrimp exporting country in the world. The tsunami that swept through Indonesia devastated the shrimp farms. Ecuador is now the largest exporter of shrimp.

"The Indonesian shrimp farms will not come back for many years. The ground is polluted, and the farms are normally built in mangrove thickets. The mangroves cleanse the fouled water from the shrimp ponds…but there are no more mangrove trees.

"Shrimp farmers in Ecuador are looking for investors to help them meet the world demand. Eight years ago Ecuador's shrimp farms were devastated by 'White Spot,' a fungus, and the shrimp farmers lost their tremendous export business. Now they can make a come-back. The shrimp-raising facilities are still in place, and are now starting to be used again. They are clean and efficient.

"Investors may want to check into this 90-day CASH CROP. I am. Hope to have more info for your IBEZ course."

This is a great business idea for those looking for international business opportunities. The Indonesian shrimp industry will not come back fast. The resources that made Indonesia a great shrimp producer are gone for now. By helping the Ecuadorian economy (Ecuadorians are even poorer than Indonesians), where the resources are correct for shrimp farming, you can boost the economy there and reduce the need for aid in South America.

Shifting production globally to countries where resources are best suited for particular types of business is a powerful way that commerce can genuinely help the poor improve their lot everywhere.

Gary Scott
For International Living