Against All Odds, Food Factory in Venezuela Keeps Moving Forward, Its CEO Says

Amid a very challenging reality for doing business, Alimentos Venepan, the Seventh-day Adventist health food company in Venezuela, keeps moving forward, said its CEO, David Huaman. Huaman’s confident remarks were part of his presentation at the 2026 Adventist Health Food Association Conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, February 11.

“Against all odds, in 2025 we have grown 30 percent, including a 54 percent in healthy bread sales and 141 percent in soy protein sales,” Huaman reported. “We sold a lot of soy protein,” he added. “In fact, our US$1 million new plant for cereal production was fully funded thanks to our soy protein sales.”

Huaman thanked all those who have supported the company amid a changing business environment and a dwindling Adventist membership across the country. He singled out the leaders of the Inter-American Health Food Company (IAHFC) and Venepan’s customers, who appreciate the quality of their products. He shared how the company keeps working on developing new products, including a healthy granola and tortillas. “Their consumption has skyrocketed in recent months, especially among younger generations,” he reported.

Challenges Ahead

At the same time, Huaman explained, the company still faces major challenges, including finding the funding they need to replace older equipment. Yet, he acknowledged, most of the revenue has been used to support the church organization across the country after fulfilling the company’s hefty tax requirements. “After all is paid, there’s not much left to reinvest, and this is a current challenge we have,” he shared.

Overall, Huaman said the company leadership is convinced that the health food factory can be very profitable, and that the decisions the company is making are set to strengthen Venepan’s future. “We already have the market with us,” he explained. “Our suppliers and customers are pushing us to introduce such new products as corn flakes, which are massively consumed across the country. It is an extremely sustainable project.”

Optimism, With Mission as the End Goal

Huaman said he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself in thinking about the future, but reminded Adventist Health Food Association Conference participants that Venepan’s positive results have taken place “against the background of the ‘old Venezuela’ government.” He added, “The country is changing rapidly. . . . The electric grid is improving, and major roads are being fixed. Now we are waiting for people’s income to stabilize. When it does, imagine the possibilities Venepan will have.”

As he got to the end of his report, Huaman emphasized that Venepan has strived to align its goals with the mission goals of the Inter-American Division. In the end he made clear the goal the company is pursuing. “We want to be successful to better support the church,” Huaman said unapologetically. “The money we make is not for Venepan, but for the Adventist Church. This is our job, a job we carry out with love so that our church may fulfill its mission.”

Huaman said Venepan’s leaders remain trusting in God, knowing that He has been at their side as they were forced to navigate the most challenging years in recent Venezuelan history. “We know the Lord is with us,” he said. “So we are confident about the future.”