We traveled to Caserío La Laguna, a small village in the District of Chirinos, Peru, to meet with Carmen Águila Huamán, a woman coffee producer who joined the MOCCA & MIDAGRI training program through the Prosperidad de Chirinos Cooperative.
Carmen Águila, has faced great challenges throughout her life that have defined her as the persevering woman she is today, who will fight to achieve her goals and the wellbeing of her family.
“I was a single mother who had to work very hard, since women had few opportunities in my community. I managed to buy a plot of land and started growing coffee empirically. One of the biggest problems I have confronted is the lack of capital to invest in my farm in order to grow economically,” says Carmen Aguila.
In 2020, within the framework of the MOCCA project and the alliance with MIDAGRI, through the Prosperidad de Chirinos Cooperative, Carmen received financing to make productive investments in her farm.
“I began to identify a low productivity in the coffee plantation, but my economic situation did not allow me to carry out renovation and rehabilitation actions. With the support of MOCCA, MIDAGRI and the Prosperidad de Chirinos Cooperative, I was granted a loan for USD 5,000 to invest in my coffee farm. I invested the money in nurseries, planting, fertilization, pest control and the purchase of new plants” Carmen Aguila.
TThe MOCCA project’s virtual and face-to-face trainings in Peru are helping Peruvian producers like Carmen del Aguila to increase the productivity and profitability of their farms, using better agronomic, low-cost and climate-smart practices.
“I didn’t know many things about the importance of renovating and rehabilitating my coffee farm. With MOCCA’s training I have learned pruning techniques that are making my plantation more productive and that lead to higher profits when I sell the coffee.” Carmen Águila
“I always share the knowledge I have learned with other women coffee growers in my community. It is good to see that Peruvian women are now more involved in coffee production because we play a fundamental role in improving the lives of our families and creating more jobs” Carmen Águila.
The purpose of financial inclusion is to improve the access and use of financial services for different segments of the population, according to their needs, especially those that are not yet integrated into the financial system.
Thanks to the alliance established between MOCCA & MIDAGRI in Peru, progress is made in the development of access to financing mechanisms for coffee producers that promote rural development, mainly focused on the inclusion of the population with fewer resources and greater restrictions.
About MIDAGRI
MOCCA, in partnership with the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), provides technical assistance to coffee producers to improve their productivity and strengthen their skills in renovation and rehabilitation, fertilization with an organic approach and good agricultural practices that contribute to reducing climate risk. In addition, efforts are being made to facilitate trade links that will connect producers with higher-value markets.
