Gretel Castro, CEO of Passion Fresh, begins the interview by emphasizing that Passion Fresh is the leading exporter of Peruvian mangoes via air freight. The company's portfolio also includes strawberries, avocados, cherimoyas, pomegranates, table grapes, oranges, and organic bananas.

Castro’s career took shape in Europe, where she lived in France from the age of 20 before returning to Peru to "start a business and do something related to quality control and the demands of the French market initially." This marked the beginning of her successful journey in the Peruvian fruit industry.

She believes the role of women in the industry has evolved significantly. "When I started my career in Peru, there were very few women in the fruit sector, especially as business leaders."

She explained that while many women work in companies linked to the sector, “being a woman leading a company was unusual. Now, there's definitely been a development of women’s roles in the fruit industry and in the business world.”

However, she acknowledged that sexism persists in the produce sector. "When I started going to the fields, they had never seen a female business owner doing that work."

Reflecting on her early days, she recalled, "It was a tough experience rather than an enjoyable one. The market was very tough, very aggressive."

She added that women were often perceived as unreliable. "What I wanted to do was something completely different. To them, a woman couldn't lead a company in Peru."

"Little by little, I built my reputation in the market and established myself."

Today, she noted, the sector recognizes businesswomen as reliable and capable of success. "I think this has developed a lot in Peru and in other countries."

Drawing from her experience, Castro highlighted that the evolution of women's roles is also visible in Spain, where she is currently based.

She emphasized that in imports, the role of women is quite visible. The opposite is true in wholesale distribution, where "women are often not seen because the hours are very difficult in Europe. We're talking about people working since three in the morning. The hours are very aggressive and difficult for women, especially those with families."

Gretel Castro

During the interview, she recounted an incident from her early days as a businesswoman in Peru while working with a major Japanese company. "When they visited the plantations, they assumed I was a man. When they found out I was a woman, they were shocked and sent me to my room to reflect on it. Later, they apologized, saying they weren’t used to that situation."

She recalled taking them to a field, where "it was initially a very cold situation, but I managed to break the ice, and it turned into a beautiful adventure."

"The role of women is beautiful and important. We need to carve out space for ourselves and fight for it. Yes, we can," she said.

Women Today and Tomorrow

Encouraging women to continue advancing and pursuing their dreams, Castro expressed her hope to see more women in leadership roles, "especially in our sector, which is beautiful and exciting."

"We must support that development, as it offers so many opportunities for us as businesswomen."