With an interest in agriculture since childhood in the countryside around San Luis Potosi, Roberto became an agronomic engineer in Altamira, Tamaulipas. He then applied his skills to the avocado sector as General Manager of PRAGOR, a cooperative of 11 small-scale avocado farmers in Michoacán. Among other responsibilities, he consults with farmers to ensure best practices during production, handles outreach to potential new members, maintains certifications, and coordinates every step of the supply chain from harvest to product consolidation to export. “During my studies, I observed six years of environmental impact on the southern zone of Tamaulipas brought forth by excessive use of agrochemicals. I decided to look for an enterprise that could develop consciousness about organic products, for cleaner crops than conventional ones. This brought me to PRAGOR, an association dedicated to a promise of 100% organic products, taking care of one’s natural surroundings.” Throughout eight years at PRAGOR, Roberto has gotten to know the “complex” Fairtrade model that the cooperative follows, excited to go beyond organics. “I’ve seen the development within PRAGOR and how committed [the farmers] are to Fairtrade, placing a grain of sand day by day to be able to change the way of thinking amongst producers in the area. The benefits are for everyone.” Roberto plans to stay with PRAGOR indefinitely, “to continue with the work we’ve been doing in these eight short years. I say ‘short’ because, as they say, ‘do what you love and you’ll never have to work’.”