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Participation of women in the export of Peruvian ginger

This article details the emergence of the company Elisur Organic SAC, a ginger and turmeric exporting company, the context in which it was developed and the important role that the participation of women played in the growth of this company, which today It is in the top 5 of the best ginger exporters in Peru.

Ginger is a product that has greatly helped in improving the financial situation of several families in the central jungle of Peru, after the region's coffee growers suffered great losses. “It was an alternative for the central jungle, as the coffee production was hit by pests in 2013 and 2014. We didn't know how to face the next season, until they invited us to plant ginger. It took some learning; it was a risk, but we were victorious and managed to rise from our fall,” says Marisol Huamán, a producing partner of Elisur Organic.

This Peruvian company emerged in this context, when a group of ginger-producing agricultural producers and a team of enthusiasts with experience in export management and environmental sustainability joined forces in early 2016. Women have played a very important role in the company's growth from the beginning. The most important positions in the company are held by women.

“53% of our workforce consists of women and we firmly believe in the value of their work leading projects locally and internationally. We want to mention some of the women who are leaving their mark every day: our general manager, our nurse, our technical advisor in the field, our head of human resources and our head of production. We are happy to count on them for these strategic activities,” say company sources.

“Each position was deservedly earned, and we have the results of their work as proof. It's no wonder that we are one of the top 5 exporting companies in Peru. In the current context, staying in this position and continuing to grow involves an unprecedented challenge. The right strategic decisions need to be made in order to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the variability of prices in the market, the increase in production costs, the growth in the demand, a growing insecurity, new sanitary restrictions, etc."

In the words of the women responsible for this growth:
“Leading and directing a project is not a matter of gender, but of internal strength, intellectual capacity and, most importantly, trust in your team. We've already had 5 years of continuous challenges since the founding of Elisur; a journey in which we have remained satisfied, regardless of the hurdles. Elisur Organic was the dream of 4 enthusiastic people who turned that dream into a company with more than 150 members, who work together to offer the best of agriculture to the world,” says Kristel Camargo, general manager and founding partner of Elisur Organic.
“We take the health of each of our employees very seriously, because we do not want the continuity of operations to stop; we want everyone to achieve their goals. We are a family and we take care of each other,” says company nurse Doris Quintanilla.

"Working on technical production advice with a producing partner from the start of the campaign each year will guarantee the quality of the product and strengthen the producers' commitment to the company," says Joselyn Justo, technical advisor in the field.

“Providing a suitable environment for the growth, motivation and synergy of people will allow us to achieve greater productivity and reduce costs. The employee's commitment is not something that is demanded, it is something that is earned,” says Roció López, Head of Human Resources.

“In recent years, the processing volume has been constantly increasing. I could demand and push, but I prefer to stay in the line of duty, leading the work,” says plant manager Ruth Quintanilla.