Latin America is the ideal setting for development of organic agriculture, since it has one of the largest unexploited agricultural land areas in the world.

AgriExpo Orgánico Latinoamérica aims to make both producers and consumers in the region aware of organic agriculture and organic products.

◊ By Santiago Minaglia

Agro Mapu Business showcases the potential of Latin America in sustainable organic agricultural production.

A person who has great interest in the advancement of organic agriculture in Chile and the Latin America region is Rodrigo Rojas Cheuquenao. He is a graphic designer by qualification, but ever since his childhood, has been interested in organic production, recycling and rural development.

Rodrigo Rojas Cheuquenao, Founder, Agro Mapu Business and Convenor, AgriExpo Orgánico Latinoamérica

Rojas is also the Founder of Agro Mapu Business and AOA Chile (Agricultura Organica Agroecologica), which organised the first international seminar on organic agriculture in Chile.

Agro Mapu was founded in 2016 as a company for consulting and selling organic products. “I started working with Seabird Guano fertiliser. I investigated its properties, differences from other types of fertilisers and I decided to bring these types of organic products to rural communities thanks to a veterinarian who had direct contact with rural farmers, and to whom we first introduced the product and its benefits,” says Rodrigo.

In 2017, Rojas travelled to India to attend the Organic World Congress. On his trip, he met with Manoj Menon of the International Competence Center for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA), as well as, Mary Vattamattam of The Timbaktu Collective. These meetings helped Rojas gain insight into the organic movement and gave him ideas on how the same could be replicated—even if on a smaller scale—in Chile and neighbouring countries.

He also participated in various workshops that helped him learn more about organic agriculture.

Since 2018, Agro Mapu Business has been hosting annual training events with the aim of strengthening rural agriculture through the transfer of knowledge in agricultural production, marketing, and cooperativism, among other things. For this, the organisation brings together organic production specialists from across the world.

THE ORGANIC EXPO OF LATIN AMERICA

On November 24^th and 25^th, 2021, Agro Mapu hosted AgriExpo Orgánico Latinoamérica 2021, in Temuco, Araucanía IX Region, Chile.

The sessions ran for more than 7 hours and all audiovisual material produced at the expo can be accessed at www.aoachile.com.

The AgriExpo welcomed 26 exhibitors from 10 countries, to 15 stands (physical, as well as, virtual). The exhibitors delved into different topics, all of them focused on organic agriculture and sustainable development — including horticulture, e-commerce, livestock, beekeeping, fruit cultivation and technology.

The event could not have taken place without the generous contribution of the following:

• Rodolfo Campos from BioFeed
• Chilean Blueberry Committee
• CMPC Celulosa’s Corporate Affairs Manager, Augusto Robert Schwerter
• The milk cooperative, Colun
• Ecocert Chile, whose Executive Director is Henrich Neisskenwirth
• Emiliana Organic Vineyards’ Sustainability Director, Sebastián Tramon
• The company, Eosta, from the Netherlands, whose CEO is Volkert Engelsman
• Frutícola Olmué’s Juan Sutil, who together, with his son, Nicolás Sutil, promotes organic agriculture in Chile
• The certifier, Mayacert
• Guatemalan company, Noé Rivera and Sons
• The company Coesam Beauty and Healthy, which works in the area of rosehip-based cosmetics, and its CEO, Carlos Amin
• International Agricultural Organization (OIA), Argentina, and its Director, Pedro Landa

Through the many different presentations, exhibitors spoke of agricultural development. The sponsorships of the Salva Terra foundation and the Agrecol Andes foundation, the latter represented by Alberto Cárdenas, who spoke about the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), made the seminar possible.

Likewise, the Executive Director of FUCOA (Fundación de Comunicaciones, Capacitación y Cultura del Agro — institution of the Ministry of Agriculture of Chile), Francisca Martin Cuadrado’s, participation in the conference was important.

Also noteworthy was the presence of the Mayor of the Vilcún Commune, Katherine Migueles, as well as, the Mayor of Pitrufquén, Jacqueline Romero Inzunza.

The expo generated important real-time market feedback on new and existing products and services. ProChile‘s presence at the event was also remarkable.

The collaborations with Efecto Manada and El Reinal, as well as, with Pablo Albarrán Lama, CEO of Ecoterra Foods, proved vital to the event.

AgriExpo Orgánico Latinoamérica 2021 sponsors

ORGANIC FOODS & DRINKS AT THE EXPO

Those who attended AgriExpo Agrícola Orgánico Latinoamérica 2021 were offered delectable organic meals and organic coffee.

For this, we’d like to thank Café Femenino for their sponsorship. In addition to organic fare, vegan and gluten-free options were available thanks to the contribution of the Miguel Yevilao Cooperative.

Organic food chefs at AgriExpo Orgánico Latinoamérica 2021

In this way, the general public was introduced to the world of organic agriculture through something as common as drinks and food.

The participation of Les Toques Blanches, an association of chefs from Chile, also proved important for successful execution of the event.

IMMENSE SCOPE IN LATIN AMERICA FOR ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

Latin America is the ideal setting for development of organic agriculture, since it has one of the largest unexploited agricultural land areas in the world.

There is currently rapid population growth, urbanisation and consumer growth that, combined, drive a sharp increase in the demand for healthy foods.

At the local level, in Chile, in the Araucanía IX Region, there are, for example, entrepreneurs of organic blueberries. Such is the case with a company from Lautaro, Arantruf, whose owner is Julio Díaz Agurto. The company produces dehydrated blueberries, blueberry vinegar, Jerusalem artichoke, etc.

Moreover, global agribusiness is interested in investing and exploring business opportunities in southern Chile.

Therefore, constant training is necessary in order to leverage existing opportunities. On this matter, IncubatecUfro and the cooperative, Juira Marka, both of which are involved in organic quinoa production, provided valuable inputs at the event.

Cal Austral S.A, which produces natural shell lime, and Fedefruta (Chilean Federation of Fruit Producers) also enriched the seminar through their participation.

At the 2nd International Organic Agriculture Seminar (2019), Temuco, Chile

A snippet from the 3rd International Organic Agriculture Seminar (2020), Chile

Organic World Congress 2017, New Delhi, India

THE ORGANIC ROUTE FORWARD

Among the achievements of Agro Mapu is having organised 3 International Seminars on Organic Agriculture (in 2018, 2019 and 2020).

Furthermore, the ‘Latin American Organic Route’, a series of micro documentaries that takes viewers through 7 countries in search of innovative experiences in organic agriculture, has been produced.

The first season has 8 episodes and is available on YouTube on the ‘AOA CHILE TV’ channel. The second season is being filmed currently.

Companies wishing to participate in SEASON 2 of the ‘Latin American Organic Route’ series can write in to [email protected]

Rojas believes that what Latin America needs is education on organic agriculture — both in producers and consumers.

He sums up his work with Agro Mapu, AOA Chile, AgriExpo and the organic docuseries as “a mission for education.”