It took around two years of testing, carried out by Tibério himself, to get all the fermentation parameters under control, with the aim of achieving a transformation process that results in a quality drink with an alcohol content of 5-6%, slightly fruity and with an aroma that identifies with the island where it is produced.

During this period, the brand was designed and registered, market research was carried out and contacts were made with other farmers interested in delivering their excess production.

The project had four main objectives, the main one being to fight food waste. On Terceira Island, around 13% of banana production, or 100 tonnes, is wasted every year. This leads to generating economic value from a product that would otherwise be wasted. With Bananika, waste is transformed into a value-added product, generating economic value for the promoter and other producers who deliver their waste. Value is also found in a by-product of the drink, with the banana peels and solid pulp resulting from pressing used for organic fertiliser. Finally, there was the creation of a new brand for the region, with Bananika being the only banana cider in the country and already now part of the Azores brand.

With CAP funding, the pair acquired the machinery and equipment needed to produce the drink (e.g., laboratory equipment, ripening tanks, maceration and fermentation tanks, filling machines, labelling machines, and other items that enable the production of a beverage that meets the market requirements for quality and stability).

By December 2022, Barbeito and Biermann had implemented a strong digital marketing strategy for promotion in Portugal, with the official launch of the brand coming six months later at the Sanjoaninas festivities in Angra do Heroísmo. They went on to win the Lisbon Food Affair Innovation Award in the food and beverage category later that year and take part in the Até à Última Pisca seminar at the invitation of the Angra do Heroísmo Chamber of Commerce. This initiative brought together government, business and charity experts on two themes, the first focused on strategy and planning for combating food waste, and the second with the presence of businesses and organisations which implement projects and actions to combat waste, such as Bananika.

Today, Bananika is sold in a large number of local bars, restaurants and shops and also in locations on the mainland.

Since the project began, it is estimated that around three tonnes of bananas have been used to produce Bananika, which would otherwise have gone to waste. In 2022 alone and from just one producer, 1.5 tonnes of bananas were saved from waste.

By creating a fermented banana drink, the project is transforming the huge amount of waste generated into a value-added product with an extended shelf life. The drink is opening up a new chance for Azorean banana producers to deal with their overproduction. The company is currently producing 14 000 bottles per year, although the current plant can bottle up to 18 000 bottles a month.

The project has also generated a sense of community, with the brand providing a feeling of belonging shared essentially by the younger members of the population. This feeling of connection and mutual support is essential for promoting collective well-being and the development of strong social ties in this outermost region of Europe.

The product has participated in various business challenges, festivals and competitions, ending up as a finalist in the BET24 Social Entrepreneurship Fair, second in the Territórios Criativos Taste Up competition and winner at the Lisbon Food Affair Innovation Awards in the food and beverage category.

One of the most pleasing aspects of Bananika is that it is an innovative project born from the ideas of two young people who were concerned about food waste and environmental sustainability.

The success of the product, which is much appreciated by locals and tourists alike, also demonstrates its quality, in addition to the fact that it has created so many ancillary benefits. It has also been recognised and won several awards, both in terms of the product itself and the ecological aspect of the project. Furthermore, a brand has been created that a community, a region and an island can all identify with. This has been achieved by working with the government of the Azores to associate the product with the Azores Brand, which aggregates and distinguishes the region's best products, increasing the potential for networking with and between other similarly recognised products.