Testimony of the Burgos brothers, beneficiaries of the Louvain Coopération project in Peru

Darwin and Hector, producers of organic oregano

Brothers Hector and Darwin Burgos, aged 26 and 28, are young farmers who produce organic herbs. Both are active members of APPAP (Puquina Agro-Export Association).

Hector: “Our family grew up on this land; we’ve always been farmers. In 2005, we began using certified organic methods. In 2008, we started marketing our products with BIOQUIPA, and this year we’re selling them through EL BUEN AROMATICO SAC.”

Darwin: “As in every organization, there must first be transparency, proper monitoring of the work and mutual trust. APPAP always has the possibility of carrying out projects in the herb production chain. In the past, we’ve implemented the ‘quality improvement and income from organic oregano’ plan, with the support of EL TALLER and LOUVAIN COOPERATION. This was made possible through the AGROIDEAS program, which provided 80% of the funding, the remaining 20% coming from our partners. This enabled equipment to be purchased and a packing facility to be built.”

For Hector, “In organic farming, there are well defined roles within the family that enable the work to be shared out. To develop new projects, we know that it’s very important for everyone to be involved, for improvements to be made and for the family to be happy. We’ve developed new skills to manage all our oregano, tarragon and chilli pepper crops as well as our traditional crops (potatoes, corn, beans, etc.) and to control production prices, marketing strategies and investments. And all this has been done with the help of LOUVAIN COOPERATION and EL TALLER. We’re constantly producing new varieties of oregano. Some is for export and some for the local market. We’re very happy because we’ve learned to be producers who promote herb diversity and because we’re competitive on the market.”

Like all of us, the Burgos brothers have ambitions for the future:

Hector: “Later on, I’d like to study industrial engineering so as to improve the family firm’s traceability system. After that, I’d like to be mayor of Puquina to develop the know-how of the farmers in my region and improve the economic situation and quality of life.”

Darwin: “My ambition is to reach the peak of my career so that I can then share everything I’ve learned about organic production, both within the family firm and with other farmers. I also want to develop our production and our exports. With my brother, I want to carry on working with different partners, farmers and organizations in Puquina to keep the herb production process transparent and meet demand while taking care of our environment.”

Check out the Louvain Coopération project in Peru here.