Women in Palm
Today, on International Women’s Day, I am delighted to highlight powerful women in palm. Female farmers in Ecuador are making their mark in the agricultural community — but its not easy. Agriculture remains a male-dominated profession, and women have a lot to prove. To show how Ecuadorian women are improving their communities and protecting the environment, we sat down with Maria Angulo, Farmers Affairs and Special Projects Manager at Natural Habitats.
Inspiring Female-Led Organic Agriculture
76-year-old Dora Arellano has owned her 38-hectare farm for 35 years. But it wasn’t always organic. Until 16 years ago, she grew mainly cocoa and cattle feed. But the cocoa trees didn’t produce much, and growing cattle feed required a lot of chemicals. When her cousin suggested that she switch to growing oil palms, she planted a couple hectares to give it a try. They worked out so well, that she allocated more land to growing oil palms.
Arellano was often concerned about the health impacts on her family and workers from using the toxic pesticide, Glyphosate. When she learned that oil palms could be grown successfully without using pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers, she set about learning how to farm organically. Arellano got her organic certification 5 years ago, but it wasn’t easy. Her collaboration with one company didn’t go well. But…
