"We are living climate change, but we do little to adapt"

29/09/2016

Interview: Alfonso Velásquez Tuesta, executive president of Sierra and Selva Exportadora.

Teo Zavala

Adapting to climate change is the key to ensuring the world's nutrition. In this sense, what is done is to identify some species that are sown in climates similar to the Piura to adapt them to this region and produce. We need to know what can be planted within five years when the temperature has increased by 0,5 or one degree. Alfonso Velásquez Tuesta, executive president of Sierra and Selva Exportadora, points out that for Piura there are two immediate possibilities: blueberries and raspberries.

-How is Sierra and Selva Exportadora working to adapt to climate change?

–The issue of climate change has been talked about for a long time, but our task is to draw attention to behaviors that can prevent its effects. We have already held an event with the Tropical Agriculture Research Center (CIAT) of Colombia to standardize the spaces -Piura with the world- to produce. That is to say, that from now on we can adapt the products that are in other parts of the world and that are developed in conditions similar to those we have and will have in Piura.

-And for our crops, as in the case of the native potato?

-First we must adapt other products to our conditions. That is food security. That we are not surprised by the change, that we are adapted from today. We must try, sow and know the markets for the products that will be developed.

- Are our products also adapting them in other latitudes?

-We promote adaptation; We are not going for mitigation. We need to know where to adapt. And the climate change trend is "higher, more productive potential"; for that reason our products we have to go up in the ecological floors, as it is the case of the native potato.

-What proposal does Sierra and Selva Exportadora have for new products?

-We have already taken some initiatives and one of them is the sowing of the cranberry that is giving important results for the coastal zone. Trujillo and Olmos are already planting blueberries because there are areas of cold where it produces very well. Soon we will be in Piura sowing too.

-To have new crops, especially those that we never think, is a positive consequence of climate change?

-Yes. We trust that the raspberry will be a response for the Andean areas and the colder areas of Piura, where high demand and low investment crops are required. Sowing blueberries means investing 50 one thousand dollars while one hectare of raspberry means 10 to 12 one thousand dollars. We must invest and leave those products that have generated this vicious circle of extreme poverty in which our people are submerged.

- How to do it with other products?

- If I could decide at this time, I would ask that a group be formed led by the Regional Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and the media to apply the homologation instruments, as Colombia has them. We must adapt to climate change from now on. We must stop talking and act. We are tired of talking about the same thing. In Piura we should have the climate change observatory.

-That is the answer?

-We must promote a collective and "do". Have to work. We are already living climate change, but we do very little to adapt.

-Sierra Exportadora initiated the promotion of berries. How have you been?

–What Sierra Exportadora did was call attention to the great potential of berries. The blueberry was the instrument with which the productive inclusion policy was given. We decided to lead it. The first message was that Peru has to become a producer of berries. We opened the door for everyone with the message of Peru Berries, we showcased the country's potential and it earned us a time of bullying. Everyone told us we were crazy hyped blueberries. Now 10% of the area is owned by small producers with 10 and 15 hectares. Between all they make no less than 300 hectares. They are people who have joined and there they are harvesting and selling with a return of 14 to 16 dollars per kilo. We have seasonality, we have volumes and we sell to China, a large market.

- This product has a lot of future?

-Yes, China does not have the space or the climate to plant. Chile leaves in November and the United States in August. We have September and October left to us to sell.

- And the raspberry?

-The raspberry requires more hours of cold and therefore is ideal for the mountains of Piura. The Chilean government has managed to motivate 18 thousand hectares. In Peru, the historic poverty of the sierra forces us to think about this crop that is in great demand and we must take advantage of the opportunity that Chile has its very old crops and start planting. It is a great opportunity.

-Sierra and Selva Exportadora promotes crops such as cocoa, coffee and organic bananas. However, before you arrived, there was already a great deal of work by the producers and other institutions.

- We continue working with the central producers and we get where they are not going. We are more inclusive. We want the markets to reach more producers, we give them technical assistance. We are promoters and we boast that we have reached more people. We are doing new things like aged cheeses, promoting dairy goat farming, among other things. All this involves a lot of work, such as pasteurization, cleaning in the milking, etc.

- Is there potential for goat cheese?

-Goat cheese is an extraordinary business that can help improve dry forest populations. We would love to participate more in this project, join the municipalities that should use the Procompite, which is the 10% of its budget to finance productive projects. The mayors do not want to invest in the promotion of associativity.

-Procompite does not give money but goods and services ...

-But that helps. Buy machinery is very important, have specialists, technical assistance

-Piura has launched a Procompite for cocoa, organic bananas and handicrafts. However, the province of Piura has very little of that production ...

–You can present projects that give added value to cocoa. For example, small producers of chocolates, hire designers to improve hats. We are very interested in the Piurans selling their hats in Lima. Why do you have to buy Ecuadorian hats when there are very good products in the country? In the summer we would like you to support us to have a stand in the southern area for artisans to sell their toquilla straw products. Only then can we help them. Buying what they produce.

Source: Eltiempo.pe