Hello everyone,

I am one of the four founders of Agro Mapu Business Ltda, a sustainable agribusiness based in Carahue, Chile. Our enterprise is a working model for small farmers, especially for the indigenous Mapuche communities of Araucania. I travelled to India in November 2017 to represent my firm at the Organic World Congress in Greater Noida, and also to seek organic fertiliser alternatives.

Rodrigo Rojas (3rd from left) with Indian farmers

After the Congress, I travelled across India to meet organic farmers and interact with companies specialising in organic farming inputs in order to experience ground realities in the country. The ability of the average Indian farmer to minimise costs greatly impressed me. I also met with representatives of several organic farming organisations such as the International Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA) and National Centre of Organic Farming (NCOF), as well as, visited enterprises like The Timbaktu Collective and Organic Mandya.

In many Indian states, I came across several stores with all manner of organic grocery products such as sugar, rice, peanuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, etc—something I hope will be replicated in Chile soon, and especially in the Araucania region, to further promote the domestic organic industry in my country. My experiences in India made me appreciate the advances of the Indian Organic Industry, and in comparison, Chile’s industry is still nascent. Thanks to my India visit, we managed some big alliances. Collaboration between the Indian and Chilean organic industries—sharing of knowledge, techniques and experiences—could vastly spur the progress of the organic sector in both countries. And I firmly believe this collaboration should begin at the lowest rung, with the farmer!

Cordial Greetings

Rodrigo Rojas Ch.

Gerente General

Agro Mapu Business Ltda

Carahue – Chile