A Mexican organic producer believes agricultural training could give rehabilitated ex-gang members a second chance, and has launched a new initiative to prove it.

Ad Naturam commercial manager Oscar Miyar Espinosa

Yucatan-based Ad Naturam mainly grows organic Habanero peppers which it processes and exports to Sweden and Germany, but is also developing organic plantain, dragon fruit and pineapple projects.

A few years ago the GlobalG.A.P-certified company began working with a program called Nacidos Para Triunfar (NPT), or Born to Succeed, focused on bringing peace among gangs in the crime-heavy northern city of Monterrey and reintegrating former drug cartel members back into society after a several-month rehabilitation course.

Ad Naturam, whose heads are from Monterrey themselves, recently began its 'Live Graffiti' initiative which takes around 15 NPT graduates and trains them in urban organic agriculture practices, park maintenance, vegetable production in backyards or roofs, production and sale of produce, and urban landscaping.

"We are merging what we are doing as an organic producer and what we do in our social responsibility program into one," commercial manager Oscar Miyar Espinosa told www.freshfruitportal.com at the Produce Marketing Associaton's (PMA) Fresh Connections: Mexico event that took place in Queretaro on May 6 and 7.

"So we take the former gang members, help to reform them, teach them how to work the land in an organic way, in an urban landscape, and then we give them a project for two months where they can modify the landscape.

"In the Yucatan they belong to a neighborhood. Those neighborhoods have a few green areas, parks, gardens, street trees, and in those areas they have control to transform and modify them, using their new knowledge to improve all the green areas."

Espinosa explained that once the former gang members return to Monterrey from the Yucatan, they help transform places previously used as drug distribution areas into community working centers, growing herbs like oregano and basil as well as some vegetables.

The working centers benefit not only the rehabilitated gang members but also the local residents who can come and pick the produce instead of buying it from a store.

The ex-cartel members can also use their new skills to find work as gardeners on private properties, either for vegetable production or landscaping, and receive support from Ad Naturam for the initial designs.

"We want to change the landscape, but that change must come from within. You need the people to make amends for what they did. They have to rebuild it, bring it to life and then take of it," Espinosa said.

"At the same time we’re bringing knowledge to these people to work in the urban area gardening for herbs and other stuff, and then they can offer that service. So you're not only helping the former gang members but you’re giving them some sort of way out with a business opportunity."

The commercial manager explained part of the reason for creating the initiative was he felt society had to take responsibility for adverse problems it had experienced, not the government.

"The idea is that you cannot expect the government to solve the problems. This is a problem coming from within Mexico - it's the whole weave of society which is wrong," he said.

"So we’ve come and met some gang members who are trying to make a difference. And we thought, 'let’s back them up'.

Espinosa also highlighted the initiative had a drop-out rate of around 10%, which he said was far lower than many government or university programs.

Organic fruit plans

After much focus on organic Habanero chili peppers, Ad Naturam is now developing plans for organic production of dragon fruit, pineapple and plantain, along with a yet-undecided citrus variety.

The selection of crops was chosen for 'biodiversity of environment' and because Espinosa said it was 'impossible' to be organic in monoculture style.

"We have to have a different production of fruits, and we chose those ones because they are exotic. Some of them like plantain and pineapple are commonly used here and so there's a good market for organic. We thought this was a good way for us to start selling," he said, adding the dragon fruit would be grown for export.

"Our strategy is to bring some products which are commonly used and then start with others."

This is also Ad Naturam's first attempt at selling some of the organic Habanero peppers in Mexico, as Espinosa said the country was not particularly well set up to handle the category.

"Organic produce in Mexico is big but it’s very difficult to manage the logistics here. So for us it’s been easier to supply a paste or powered or dried product," he said.

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