At a Glance
Location: Peru
Impact Area: Suppliers, Sustainable Agriculture
People Supported:
Indigenous Communities, Smallholder Farmers
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2024
Overview
Potato farming has a long-standing tradition in Peru’s rural Andean communities, where fertile, high-altitude lands offer rich soils ideal for cultivation. Today, more than 700,000 farming families grow native potato crops, producing thousands of varieties in a wide array of colors, shapes, and sizes. While traditionally these native potatoes were consumed mainly by local communities, demand for high-quality potatoes is slowly on the rise, providing additional income opportunities for Peru’s potato farmers and their families.
Coordinadora Rural de la Papa del Perú (CORPAPA) was founded to support the livelihoods of traditional potato farmers in Ayacucho – an Andean region where 50% of the population struggle to meet basic needs. The association supports over 130 local producers to grow organic potatoes, which it buys at preferential prices and sells to clients in the agroindustrial sector, supermarkets, restaurants, and government programs for public schools and soup kitchens.
There are over 4,000 native potato varieties in Peru. CORPAPA researches and develops techniques for recovering and harvesting these local varieties, incorporating ancestral sustainable farming techniques into its approach. It develops high-quality seeds that are packed with nutrients and more resistant to climate shocks, and ensures farmers have the technical knowledge to maintain these crops.
CORPAPA’s support includes regular farm visits and training in selecting and classifying potatoes, managing microclimates, and transporting fresh potatoes. Specifically, CORPAPA works to preserve traditional practices such as ayni – a method used by many Quechua farming communities in Peru’s highlands based on reciprocity, mutual support, and collective, organized work. In this vein, the association has established native potato farming committees in the communities where it works to oversee collaborative crop management and disseminate farming knowledge.
CORPAPA also trains its team and local farmers to use a traceability system for their organic produce. This allows end consumers to identify the native potato variety, plot location, farmer’s name, and harvest date.
Results & Impact
154
smallholder farmers supported by 2027, 30% of whom are women
30%
projected increase in household income for smallholder farmers
500
hectares of farmland under sustainable practices (organic certification)
“We see our partnership with NESsT as strategic, as with their guidance and technical support will greatly strengthen our organization: we will improve our internal processes, enhance our operations, and expand our client base, ultimately diversifying our income and improving the quality of life of all CORPAPA families. Through our long-term collaboration with NESsT, we will also continue to preserve traditional Andean potato harvesting methods and promote the rich historical and cultural heritage of these superfoods.”
NESsT Investment
By focusing its efforts on growing high-quality, organic potatoes, CORPAPA has gained strong market credibility and steadily increased its sales. With growing demand, it can directly benefit farmers and their families by increasing their income. To sustain this momentum, CORPAPA will continue to cultivate strong relationships with local farmers, ensuring high-quality production and supporting them to obtain organic certification.
With the support of NESsT portfolio managers, CORPAPA will transition to a cooperative model, improving its administrative practices, streamlining processes and financial management, and strengthening its governance model. By boosting its efficiency and stability, CORPAPA will be able to scale its operations to the next level, increasing revenue as a social enterprise while also boosting its positive impact on farming families, ultimately evolving into a more sustainable, impactful organization.
Over the next year, the association aims to support over 150 small farmers in the Ayacucho region to make potato farming one of their main sources of income, increasing their income by 30%.