Zenon Porfidio Gomel APAZA

Solution / Ancestral Farming Techniques

Zenón Porfidio Gomel Apaza, a visionary Peruvian agronomist, came up with the idea of encouraging communities in the Altiplano (high plains) to use farming methods borrowed from their ancestors. It was when he returned to the family farm after his university studies that he realized that conventional agriculture pushed farmers to make decisions that ran counter to their spiritual values and agrarian traditions.

In addition to being convinced that Peruvian farmers should re-establish the intimate relationship their ancestors had had with the land, Gomel Apaza emphasizes the importance of crop diversity and favours indigenous plants. By planting many types of crops, he has shown that it is possible to avoid depleting soil nutrients, prevent the loss of entire harvests and ensure that farmers are able to feed their families.