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Roberto Vargas

Agrícola Interandina

Hello! My name is Roberto Vargas and together with an incredible team, I grow organic passion fruit in Peru for Nature & More.

Together with my brother Martín and three of our closest childhood friends, we founded Agrícola Interandina. As Commercial Director, I am in charge of sales, logistics and business development. Martín takes care of the production as Agricultural Director.

Our family has been involved in farming for years and we are proudly part of the 4th generation of farmers. It has always been our dream to work and farm together. By choosing organic farming for our passion fruit production, we protect our ecosystem and help protect iconic Peruvian wildlife such as condors, pumas, and birds. Also, we can help the economy of the communities surrounding us.

We are passionate about producing the best quality fruits for our customers. Even though the lands where we grow our fruits have very challenging logistics, we are able to achieve our greatest priorities; having the best quality and flavour of all farms in these areas.

Interview with Roberto Vargas

N&M: Can you tell something about the region where your farm is located?

Our company grows organic passion fruit, but also conventional grapes, mandarins and blueberries. All of our fields are in a 40 km radius which allows us to be constantly present throughout the whole process. The passion fruits are grown at 700 meters above sea level and around 55 kilometres away from the Pacific Ocean. The Interandean Valley has a warm microclimate wit sunny days and cool nights. This weather encourages optimal quality, growth, flavour and a higher sugar content in the fruit.

N&M: What products do you grow and what’s special about your products?

We grow organic passionfruit, but also conventional grapes, blueberries and mandarins. We have a team that comes from a long agricultural tradition. The climate and location in which we grow our fruits allows us to distinguish ourselves in terms of flavour and quality.

N&M: Why and when did you go organic?

We started to grow organic with our organic passion fruit project. With the growth of the organic passion fruits, we create a positive impact on the environment and on health. We love how everyone is benefited by organic farming, from the workers to the end consumers and the planet.

N&M: What do you see as the benefits of organic farming now?

Some of our main goals are to have a positive effect on the environment and on our society. We see the first one as a way of being grateful for the land that gives us such good quality produce all year round. By choosing organic farming, we protect our ecosystem and help protect iconic Peruvian wildlife such as condors, pumas, and birds. For the second one, we think it’s amazing that we can help the economy of the communities surrounding us.

N&M: What do you like most about your work?

There are many things about my job that makes me happy and consistently motivate me. Agriculture is the industry which employs the highest amount of people in our country, having a positive direct impact on thousands of people. In our group, we employ more than 5000 people all year-round. We have seen a huge positive economic and social impact in our area of influence. Peru is one of the world’s main suppliers in many fruits and we see a huge potential for growth. We don’t aim to be recognized as the biggest exporter, we want to be known for our good quality fruits, the positive effect we have on our workers, our fair treatment of the ecosystem and our excellent customer service.

N&M: Is there something that every consumer should know about you or your farm?

We put a lot of effort and dedication into what we’re doing, so that our customers can receive high-quality fruit that also has a positive impact on the world.

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soil

We are constantly working to improve the structure of the soil by using appropriate natural techniques. Therefore, we don’t apply soil fumigation. But we use crop rotation, solarization and mechanical turning of the soil to counteract possible pests and diseases.

A careful cultivation and soil management plan is in place to minimize nutrient loss. Organic feeding of the soil is basically done by drip irrigation. The amount of organic fertilizer and nutrients added to the water is calculated daily according to our organic fertilization programs. These programs have been established based on the study of the requirements of each crop. This effort results in adequate productivity per hectare and outstanding fruit quality.

Regarding wind erosion control, several kilometers of living fence have been installed. In regards of water erosion, there is no existent risk for our fields risk because we use a drip irrigation system.

biodiversity

We contribute to preserving the biodiversity of the area by performing sustainable farming techniques. This allows us to co-exist in harmony with nature and having minimum environmental impact.

Our farming practices seek to maximize the chances of survival of all forms of flora and fauna that surround us. We are aware that the loss of any living species can be significant for the biological balance. Therefore, we have adequate maintenance of solid waste and integrated pest management to minimize the use of pesticides.

We have planted crops around the farm perimeter. Many bird-host plants and biological corridors serve as a perimetric fence.

The wild animal species around our farm are mainly birds, among which we have the Amazilia hummingbird (Amazilia Amazilia, Amazilia Kolibri) which helps in the pollination of the crops, the Peruvian thick-knee (Burhinus superciliaris , Peruaanse Griel) and the Coastal Miner (Geositta peruviana , kustholengraver) which feed on insects. There are also different types of plants that can be found within the farm that serves for nesting and resting and attract beneficial insects.

We place signs with scientific and common names of the plants and animals so that staff can relate to them. We believe that educating our personnel in the protection and conservation of the flora and fauna is key to achieve environmentally friendly practices all along our supply chain.

individual

We provide different kinds of trainings to our workers that allow them to constantly develop their knowledge. The trainings, for instance, are about Organic certification, First aid, Code of Ethics, etcetera. People who carry out dangerous or risky work such as tractor drivers, health personnel, among others, are given specialized and technical training, depending on the work they perform.

It is important for our employees to also relax from time to time which is why we keep recreation and integration activities for all our employees. Activities such as soccer and volleyball championships, integration games and trips, performances, birthday celebrations, among other activities.

It’s very important that all of our employees are healthy which is why we have health campaigns for our workers. Those include medical examinations, disease screenings, cholinesterase analysis, vaccinations, and psychological counseling.

society

We believe our workers are the driving force of the company, which is why we make sure they are treated fairly and feel comfortable at their workplace. Our goal is to help improve their quality of life for them and their families.

Our policies comply with the Peruvian laws regarding good working conditions. Our employees get legal employment contracts, fair wages, paid holidays, medical insurance for themselves and their families, maternity leave and temporary disability benefits.

At Agrícola Interandina, we also have community support programs, providing constant help in projects that benefit our workers, their families, and locals. We have recently helped in the fight against the current pandemic by donating implements for hygiene and biosafety, for protection and prevention, benefiting around 1,400 people.

economy

We play an important role in the local economy, employing nearly 100 people among men and women throughout the Cochas Valley.

We support medical centers in nearby towns and carry out health campaigns that include occupational medical examinations, screening for diseases, and psychological counseling.

We purchase our agricultural supplies from local suppliers of the districts of Supe and Barranca, thereby supporting small and medium entrepreneurs. The constant coordination with suppliers is currently used as a tool to create wealth in the company because it allows a more efficient administration and delivery of orders.

climate

At Agrícola Interandina we are committed to the environment. That is why all our fields use high pressure irrigation systems to be more efficient in the use of water. These irrigation systems consume a lot of energy. Therefore, in order to join the fight to prevent global warming we have installed solar panels to supply our operation in the San Telmo farm. We have installed 4,000 m2 of solar panels, so that all the energy we consume is clean and sustainable energy.

We have a waste management plan implemented on the farm, in order to take action to reduce and minimize pollution to the environment. The farm has areas for the placement of waste, as well as a waste disposal program. We adequately manage all the waste generated from our agricultural operation and from all of the other support activities. We promote the storage, reduction, reuse, and recycling of waste throughout our supply chain as well.

All of our fruit is shipped to Europe and other parts of the world right after harvest, therefore, we are avoiding energy expenses for storage. We also have a policy which states that the felling and burning of trees or any general waste on the farm is prohibited so we avoid greenhouse gas emissions.

water

We have a drip irrigation system for the sustainable use of water and the development of the crop. The water is extracted from the surface water of the Pativilca River and is stored in the farm's reservoir. The farm has an average water consumption of 450 m3 per hectare per month for the cultivation of passion fruit.

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