We present you this new section, where we unite some of the most relevant actors in the world of social development, agriculture, entrepreneurship and franchise. This time, not with an informative purpose, but to show what is inside their minds and their spirits. Our goal is to promote their different views, and how they can interact with our model towards sustainability for a real change.
CARMEN VALLE – HEROINAS TOLEDO
Known as the Queen of the quinoa, native from Junin, Peru. She is one of the most renowned and active farmer leader and activist, supporting producers, local production and local added value for national products. On this journey, she feels that she is not having enough help.
She told us:
“I tell Peruvians: brothers and sisters we have to be aware of the values that our ancestors the INKAS gave us. If we love our children, we should also love our ground, the “Mama pacha. These words come from my heart.”
“I tell the world: please stop sending us processed foods, is not fair that you take our raw prime natural products and send them back packaged, several times more expensive, and full of toxics.”
ESPERANZA DIONISIO – MANAGER OF PANGOA COOPERATIVE
She was the first woman to manage an agrarian cooperative in Peru, 20 years ago. Because of her leadership, now Pangoa cooperative is one of the best coffee producers, exporting and giving jobs to more than 800 people. Considering cattle raising, a coffee shop, a hotel and actions in a power plant.
She told us:
“I always ask myself why do people consider me a leader. I think that is because of my patience. I am genuinely interested on people´s emotions, as communication and compromise are crucial for the development of a cooperative.” & lt ?
“People do not see producers as entrepreneurs, but I say that having a high government position does not make a leader. That is why we, producers, have to study and practice good values to feel free and grow.”
ROLANDO HERRERA – CACAO PERUVIAN LEADER
He is one of the most important cocoa leaders in Latam. Founder and former President of APPC (Peruvian Association of Cacao Producers) and the Chocolate Saloon, and Fairtrade Secretary. He believes that we can do so much more to develop agrarian cooperatives.
He told us:
“I used to work a lot for cooperatives over 3 decades: sleeping 3 days a month with my family, traveling around the world, and meeting many cocoa personalities and big corporations. On this period, I never let power or personal interests to overcome our goals as producers.”
“Is crucial to standardize processes in cooperatives to improve traceability, because when one cooperative fails to a costumer all of us take responsibility, we are judged as a Peruvian product. This is why I believe in the Social replication model, and I think that it could make a big difference.”
VICTOR GANOZA – COUNTRY DIRECTOR AT TECHNOSERVE
He is one of the most important personalities for coffee and cocoa in Peru and Latin America. This Honduran PHD leads Technoserve, a USAID financed organization, for 12 years, and recently he presented with Inka Prime our replication model for FONTAGRO.
He told us:
“The issue with social development projects is that they are not sustainable over the years, it seems that we have to start over again every time. We have to start asking ourselves What is an agrarian cooperative and what do the producers want to achieve?”
“The social replication model could be a powerful new approach for the agrarian sector. If we can have a new standard for cooperatives, then we are going to be able to connect them to the international market sustainably.”
KRISHNA KESARI – DATA SCIENTIST AT WORLD BANK
Krishna is well known by Inka Prime, as he acts as an external consultant on his free time, sharing what he achieved in his native India. At a young age, he developed statistical models for his Government, on public initiatives and clustering scenarios based on biotechnology.
He told us:
“On India, the source of improvement on productivity came especially because of an innovative change that facilitated the use of technologies for the agricultural families. Considering the investment in I+D, people, infrastructure and market development.”
“Peruvian government should have a very clear idea about the local organic inputs market and how much money should they invest to develop it, considering biological, botanic and chemic products. All this in close coordination with its regulation division.”
RODOLFO SALAZAR – IDEAWORKS
Founder of Ideaworks International, digital strategy consultant from El Salvador. For him new realities open up new opportunities in this connected era. Nevertheless, digital strategies often fail because of the leading inexperience in uncertain situations.
He told us:
“Technology is getting more intuitive; I know this as we do digital ethnography, using semiotic analysis on social media and identifying adjectives. Believe me things are changing.”
“In Center America farmers use many cellphone tools, and it is already a necessity. Sometimes they don´t even know how to read or write, but they send videos by WhatsApp. I even saw them charging a cellphone with a car battery.”
SASHA NATURA
Sasha Natura is an environmental startup that makes biodegradable plates, cutlery and straws from Peruvian Amazonic plants: like banana, saylla and abedul. Their goal is to reduce plastic and polystyrene, and work along producers to achieve it.
“One of our biggest barriers is that we do not have certifications or standardizations, so we cannot work with restaurants or hotels. This really does not make sense, as our products are 100% natural.”
“The KUNAN network have been helping us. Moreover, we are trying to connect with Regional Governments to replicate our model, but we don’t even have a plan yet, our attitude has been mostly reactive.”
F. FERENZ FEHER: FEHER&FEHER
Ferez is a renown franchise consultant, experienced on working with small businesses as well as big corporations. He is also a promotor of social franchising in his native Mexico, considering this concept as a Social responsibility must.
He told us:
“An entrepreneur is someone with a dream that does anything on his hands to accomplish it. I dedicated my life to help people to achieve these growing dreams, and it has been a huge satisfaction to live these stories.”
“Looking at so many franchises I realized that many things are similar on every system, it doesn´t matter if it is food, retail or services. In Mexico we achieved a lot because of Government disposition on promoting jobs.”
G. PAUL CAIRNIE – WORLD FRANCHISE ASSOCIATES
As the CEO of the World Franchise Associates, the English Paul Cairnie is one of the most important personalities in the world of franchises, considering almost 30 years of experience in the field. For this, we ask him about Peru and Latin America.
He told us:
“8 years ago, you couldn´t see one Latin American franchise in Europe, now you can see Peruvian restaurants in Dubai. Governments should support businesses financially, as franchises produce creative and forwarded thinking people.”
“The keys to success for franchises are: understanding the markets that are more receptive for your business, meeting consultants and operators, engaging with them, and being persistent as well as tenacious.”
