Farmerstories
Chocolate
Portraits and interviews
Marcela Ortiz Navaez
First and last name: Marcela Ortiz Navaez
Residence: Algeciras, vereda Bellavista
Family status: Divorced
Age: 35 years old
How do you describe your current life situation in general?
Although the economic situation has improved as a result of the projects, inputs are very expensive or not available on the local market. The auxiliary labor is expensive and therefore the profitability of the cultivation is not very high and the productivity is affected as a result. The cultivation mentality has changed in that we do not use chemical products that are harmful to health, we have changed our way of life and we show it to our children.
Why are you a farmer and do you like your job? If yes, why do you like your job?
I like being a farmer because I grew up in the countryside. It is important to me to know where food comes from and how it is grown. It is important to me to grow and sellgood cocoa, which is then processed into fine chocolate and eaten in many countries.
What are the advantages for Pakka partner "equiori" to work?
The support we have received from them has been very good. Their training has given us the knowledge we need for organic farming. Equiori also has the understanding of our living conditions in the countryside as well as and they are essential for the further development of activities.
How long have you been working / producing for Pakka partner "equiori"?
For 1 1/2 years I have been producing organic cocoa and then selling it to equiori.
What has improved in your life in general since you started working for Pakka Partner "equiori"?
We have improved our knowledge of organic farming in our plant crops. The accompaniment and support has been very good and allows us to continue organic developments.
What improvements do you expect/wish to see in the next year?
I would like to see cocoa prices continue to rise and chocolate products become even more readily available. This will allow us to further increase harvests and productivity and further improve our living conditions.
Sandra Olaya
First and last name: Sandra Olaya
Residence: Vereda Coloradas, Planadas, Tolima
Family status: Married, 2 children (Gabriela 2 years old and Luis Felipe 10 years old
Age: 38 years old
Why do you have a passion for agriculture?
It gives me great pleasure to plant something, grow it and see how it then sprouts and thrives. It pleases me even more when all this happens in harmony with nature.
What are the advantages for Pakka partner "Equiori" to work?
The prices Equiori pays us for our grown products are fair. This encourages us to continue doing things in this sustainable way.
But we can also continue to develop through the knowledge we have learned about organic farming, continuously improving and doing things better. But I also care a lot about the quality of the products I grow. It makes me happy when all this happens in harmony with the natural conditions.
Jhon Alex Gonzalez Prada
First and last name: Jhon Alex Gonzalez Prada
Residence: Algeciras, Huila
Family status : single
Age: 25 Jahre alt
How do you describe your current life situation in general?
The only drawback is that the price of fertilizers is very high, which makes them difficult to access.
Why are you a farmer and do you like your job? If yes, why do you like your job?
Yes, I like it because my parents taught me from a young age to work to support myself and my family, and I worked in the fields from a young age.
What are the advantages for Pakka partner "equiori" to work?
We were given a lot of know-how. It was a very good process because we learned a lot about cocoa. We also get technical support and best practice insights from other growers, which allows us to put this into practice afterwards..
How long have you been working / producing for Pakka partner "equiori"?
I have been working for them for 3 years now.
What has improved in your life in general since you started working for Pakka Partner "equiori"?
When I learned and managed cocoa farming, I already knew about grafting and other basic practices. But now we have learned a lot about how this works with organic farming methods.
What has improved (worsened) for you/your family during the past year?
Production and income have improved. Now you can see the changes because there is better production thanks to management. The pests were strong, but they were brought under control. Unfortunately, prices for inputs and supplies in the region are high and continue to rise, which worries us.
What improvements do you expect/wish to see in the next year?
I want the price of cocoa to continue to rise, to go higher, to generate more income.
Cesar Julio Munoz
First and last name: : Cesar Julio Vera Muñoz
Residence : Algeciras, vereda andes bajos
Family status : single
Age: 30 Jahre alt
How do you describe your current life situation in general (what is going well at the moment / what is going less well)?
We have changed our way of life "sustainably" and now see our farm as a business with a sustainable economy. The economic situation has improved as a result, but inputs (such as gasoline) are very expensive. Also auxiliary labor is expensive and therefore the profitability of the harvest could be higher.
Why are you a farmer and do you like your job? If yes, why do you like your job?
I like being a farmer because I have loved caring for nature since I was a child. But also to leave a clean land for our future generations to enjoy. Farming gives me a better income and improves our livelihood.
What are the advantages for Pakka partner "equiori" to work?
The support we have received has been very good, the training has given us the knowledge we need for organic farming and the understanding of the rural situation and the reality of our country, which are priorities for the development of activities.
How long have you been working / producing for Pakka partner "equiori"?
I have been working for them for 1 1/2 years.
What has improved in your life in general since you started working for Pakka Partner "equiori"?
We have learned a lot about how to manage and optimize our plant crops and farming methods in an organic, sustainable way.
What has improved (worsened) for you/your family during the past year?
We have improved our quality of life, better income and more organization on our farm. The support has been very good and allows us to continue organic developments. Nothing in particular has deteriorated.
What improvements do you expect/wish to see in the next year?
I would like to see cocoa prices continue to rise, In addition, I would like to see a premium or incentive for the care and maintenance of our cocoa land with agroforestry crops.
EQUIORI – Premium organic chocolate from Colombia
The brand "Equiori" stands for the first and only certified organic chocolate from Colombia, produced directly with local partners in origin. The name means EQUIDAD & ORIGEN, where EQUIDAD stands for fair relations with the partners and ORIGEN for the origin.
