Born in Lima, Peru, some of Tania's fondest memories as a child took place during her autumn break from school when her family would depart the city to visit her grandparents in a small town in the Central Andes. Days were spent hiking through potato and faba fields with her siblings and cousins to harvest native potatoes. As aspiring farmers, the adventure always laid in the unique shapes, sizes, and colors of potatoes they discovered.

Tania’s admiration and respect for nature coupled with a sense of responsibility to helping farmers secure their livelihoods made her decision to become an agronomist an easy one. While attending university, she had the opportunity to travel to several towns across Peru, Chile, Bolivia, and Cuba to both learn and share about sustainable agriculture. Parallel to her years at university, Tania was trained in social project management and evaluation. Her studies and travels translated to her work on youth programs at the Lima mayor’s office and women’s issues through a non-profit.

Internship opportunities on an organic farm in Pennsylvania and at ALBA in the Salinas Valley eventually brought Tania to the U.S. During her 10 years in the U.S., Tania has managed a 40-acre plant nursery and held the role of a project manager at a landscaping company.

Interacting with and supporting Latino farmers and workers in many countries has shown Tania that similar challenges are experienced regardless of where you farm or work. Her commitment remains to addressing the numerous social and environmental injustices that many small, organic farmers and farmworkers face.