Growing a global
cooperative
powered by
smallholder farmers

Whilst studying for an MA in Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford, Sam became interested in issues surrounding international and community development.  Working with an education and community development NGO based in Trujillo, Peru he ran a variety of workshops and programmes – including a photography programme with a  group of secondary students, helping them to explore their community, and communicate their stories to the outside world. He has also volunteered as a community mediator, and worked with education, refugee and community support organisations.

Since joining Producers Direct in 2015, Sam has worked on leading communications of the organisation. More recently he has used his experience of community-led and participatory projects to work on the development of a farmer-led data system to support smallholders across our network.

Outside of work Sam enjoys drumming, running and cooking.

Trilce’s passion for challenging the paradigms of development and deep interest to understand the realities of rural, underprivileged and neglected communities in Peru, Latin America and globally has been a priority in her life and career.

Trilce joined Producers Direct in 2015 when she returned to her native Peru after studying and living abroad for 8 years. Her academic training in Development, Sociology and Politics, by Utrecht and Leiden University respectively, grounded her in the social sciences and enabled her to experience work, research and field work in Southern Kenya and in Peru (2012-2014) with a multidisciplinary approach fueled with a critical-thinking that she identifies as key. Trilce has lead the implementation of our model in Peru for the last 8 years and is eager to dive into a more strategy-based role with a key focus on scaling our programs across Latin America.

As a proud feminist, political activist, and a committed Cooperativista, Trilce is sure that sustainability in a changing world is achieved by putting the voice of the smallholder farmers we work with at the center of everything we do.

Eunice lives and was born in Cusco. She has trained as an Anthropologist at the San Antonio National University in Cusco and has a masters degree in Gender Studies from the Pontifical Catholic University in Lima. She has worked as an Assistant Lecturer in the faculty of Anthropology, as an assistant in the educational resources programme with communities, teachers, students and parents with Mine Xtrata – Las Bambas in Apurimac and, in 2015, at the International Association for the Study of Sexuality, Culture and Society – IASSCS, to develop the activities and logistics of the conference program in Dublin, Ireland. All this experience has sought to build her knowledge on rural communities, social and cultural diversity and the gender gaps.

Since joining Producers Direct, her work has been focussed on developing the different aspects of the INSPIRE project in Peru. Concentrating on forming relationships through constant communication with the producer organisations, inclusion of women and young people, and the quality of life, and the recognition of the small producers’ initiatives in Peru.

Eunice is very interested in popular-traditional music, as an expression of cultures, identities and gender.

Talia was born and lives in Lima. She studied Forest Engineering at Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina. At that time, she was passionate about Peru, its people, and its natural resources. By the time she finished her pre-graduate studies, she developed an interpretive plan for a Private Conservation Area in the north of Peru as her thesis work. Since then, Talia has worked on developing participatory projects related to conservation, ecotourism, forestry, and agriculture.

After having travelled throughout all the regions in Peru investigating and documenting different sustainable business models led by communities, she became part of Producers Direct in 2018 to support the fundraising team. She knows that she lives in a country full of opportunities, especially in rural areas, and loves to be part of its sustainable development.

Talia collects places. She dreams of visiting the 76 Natural Protected Areas in Peru (she has already been to 30).

Diana grew up in a rural Colombian family, which has given her a deep understanding of the problems and opportunities of rural communities. After graduating with a degree in business administration, she co-founded Bive, a social enterprise facilitating access to high-quality healthcare for more than 100,600 people in rural areas in Colombia, particularly in coffee-growing communities. After eight years leading her social organisation, Diana moved to Malawi to work at mothers2mothers, an international NGO that empowers women living with HIV to eradicate pediatric HIV/AIDS. There, she became interested in sustainable food systems and climate change. She completed a Master’s Degree in International Development Policy, focused on technology, innovation, and climate-smart agriculture. Diana is our International Project Manager coordinating our efforts in farmer data for decision-making. She leads the development of our digital app Croppie in Colombia, Peru, and Uganda and is excited to scale this technology to millions of farmers.

Daniela is a Data Analyst residing in Arequipa, Peru. She is passionate about using cleaning data to facilitate accurate predictions and she enjoys building data dashboards. Daniela has a special interest in agribusiness, where she leverages her skills to make meaningful insights.

Beyond her professional endeavors, Daniela is a fan of data science competitions, showcasing her enthusiasm for pushing the boundaries of her expertise. As a result of this, she became an ambassador for Women in Data Science in her city. In this capacity, Daniela is dedicated to encouraging more women and young students to explore the realm of data science and integrate its principles into their respective fields of study.

William is a structured, creative and independent thinker, with a personal desire of building businesses that are fundamentally sustainable and socially good.  

Over the years, William has gained significant experience in building and accelerating startups especially in the agribusiness sector. He has helped in the founding of agribusinesses such as; Smartfarming Uganda – An ecommerce platform that sells and distributes farming inputs; Turaco Valley Foods – An agro-processing company that adds value to refugee grown crops; and MtotoCare – A company that makes affordable and reusable baby diapers.

In his free time, William enjoys playing tennis, reading books and watching movies.

Salama is an experienced social science researcher. She has conducted research in health, policy, agriculture, and gender. With a passion for socially impactful solutions that empower communities through evidence-based insights, her expertise lies in conducting thorough research, engaging with stakeholders, and translating findings into actionable solutions.

Salama holds a Master’s in Monitoring and Evaluation, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Monitoring and Evaluation, and a Bachelor of Development Studies. She enjoys traveling and learning new languages. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks with her two kids.

Peruvian engineer. David helped build a social enterprise over a decade (Nature Services), becoming its Country Manager in Peru. He started working on the ground with Machupicchu´s park rangers and indigenous communities around Manu national park. David was part of technical assistance teams of international cooperation agencies and multilateral development banks focused on Latin America such as GIZ and IDB. Work concentrated on the design and execution of projects related to biodiversity finance, deforestation-free production, ecosystem services, watershed management, and bioeconomy. David has also advised private sector companies on how to best manage their ecological footprint, environmental offset strategies, and nature investments through the cost-effective practice of REDD+, Water Funds, Habitat Banking, and EUDR compliance. David studied Forestry in Peru’s National Agrarian University, La Molina; and, did his graduate studies in Coastal Management at the University of California, Santa Cruz (USA). As part of a new phase, David is now also helping with the creation of an Amazon Sustainability Research Institute within Peru´s Technology & Engineering University (UTEC)