José Cecilio
Hernández

Biography

José is an agronomist from the National University of Colombia with a great passion for caring for nature and the environment. It has supported ASOARCE peasant families since before its legal incorporation in 2017 with the development of organic planting models in family gardens with multiple varieties of vegetables, native tubers and ancestral grains. He also directed the entire traceability and organic certification program for the 41 varieties that ASOARCE grows today at “El Recuerdo demonstration farm” were ASOARCE obtained the organic certification to market their products in national and international markets (USDA Organics). His inspiration came from his experience of having lived in the Andean mountains, the extraordinary land in which he has remained for the last 10 years, the mystique of the cloud forests and paramos and his admiration for the work done by small farmers in the region.

José's ambition is to continue replicating the implementation of sustainable agroforestry programs to create environmental, social and economic impact for the region, working closely with high mountain communities and in particular with the producers of the Pantano de Arce, promoting agroecology restoration, better nutrition and reforestation of native trees.