the coffee farmer Vicentina Phocco Palero decided to grow coffee on a small piece of land in Alto Inambari, Puno. She found the solution to her financial situation as her husband worked in a mine and household expenses were increasing every day. For this reason, the Peruvian woman had no choice but to grow this product, but she never imagined that it would find international recognition.
In addition, the woman received the support of the UN, which allowed her to continue her project, since she did not have the necessary resources. She was even awarded the 2021 Midagri Medal for her contribution as an agricultural woman. Next, we’ll tell you how he started his coffee business.
Who is Vicentina Phocco Palero?
Born in downtown Aricato, Puno, Vicentina Phocco grew up in a low-income family, but her passion for coffee grew from a young age as her parents also devoted themselves to farming. She learned farming at the age of seven and began helping out on the family farm.
Years later she married Pablo Mamani, who worked a few days a week in a mine, but both realized that the income was insufficient to support their economic expenses. In 2004, Vicentina’s father-in-law gave them a small farm in Alto Inambari District, Sandia Province, Puno.
“My father-in-law gave us a small piece of land to grow our first coffee beans. My husband didn’t like working on the farm, but little by little he got used to it and we started growing coffee with the support of the United Nations. The following year we increased another hectare of land for our harvest,” he told Andina. Also, Vicentina remembered the hard work of planting this crop because they had to get up at 3am to reach their land. “It’s difficult to grow coffee, buy it, wash it, we don’t have time,” he added.
Vicentina Phocco started growing coffee at a young age. Photo: Juan Mercado Vega
International recognition for Vicentina Phocco
Vicentina Phocco’s project was on the brink of being canceled when her two eldest children died in a traffic accident on the Inambari highway. Sadness gripped her and she wanted nothing more to do with her harvest, but the coffee farmers at the Túpac Amaru Cooperative motivated her to continue harvesting.
In 2018, Phocco coffee received the World Award for Best Quality Coffee in the Small Producers category at the Global Specialty Coffee EXPO Seattle 2018 in the United States.
Vicentina Phocco started growing coffee on a small farm with her husband Pablo Mamani. Photo: Dayana Galvez Benites
Three years later, the entrepreneur received the Midagri Medal 2021, in addition to the recognition for her contribution to the competitiveness of peasant families in agriculture, awarded by then Peruvian President Francisco Sagasti.
The coffee and the efforts of Vicentina Phocco were made possible thanks to the work and support of the National Commission for Development and Life Without Drugs (Devida), the Municipality of Alto Inambari and the Central de Cooperativas Agrarias Cafetaleras de los Valles de Sandia (Cecovasa ), where there are the could channel sales of its product.
Vicentina Phocco received a Midagri Medal from Francisco Sagasti. Photo: Andina/Twitter