Nestlé has acquired a majority stake in Ecuador-based Terrafertil, which sells organic, plant-based foods and healthy snacks.
The move sees Nestlé widen its presence in a fast-growing category in Latin America, the US and UK.
Terrafertil, and its flagship brand Nature’s Heart, is the world’s largest buyer of goldenberries, an Andean fruit high in vitamins and antioxidants.
The company was founded in 2005 in Ecuador by five entrepreneurs and is managed by three founding brothers, David, Raul and Daniel Bermeo. It quickly expanded its presence in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and the UK.
In 2017, it entered the US with the purchase of Essential Living Foods. It employs 400 people and has four factories in Ecuador, Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
The transaction includes all of Terrafertil’s operations and assets in the seven countries where it operates.
