Cargill and the Edes Business School of the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) in Ecuador signed an alliance to carry out a training program for 100 female shrimp producers from Mexico, Central America and Ecuador. The program will help the women access technology and technical knowledge, eliminating obstacles to improve their sources of income and enrich the industry and their communities. This partnership aligns to with Cargill’s commitment to promote gender parity and women’s empowerment along its supply chains.
Together, Cargill and UTPL will develop the entrepreneurial skills of women shrimp farmers on the coast of the states of Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, in the Choluteca and Valle regions of southern Honduras, Chinandega in Nicaragua, and the provinces of Oro, Guayas, and Santa Elena in Ecuador, through education, so they can expand their knowledge and apply it in their respective businesses.
“We are humbled and excited to partner with UTPL to opens doors for women first, in their communities, and then in broader export markets,” said Pilar Cruz, Cargill’s chief sustainability officer. “We invest in community development and education to boost economic and social resilience. Programs like this bring to life Cargill's purpose of nourishing the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.”
The training program will be academically led by the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, through the Fundación para el Desarrollo Empresarial y Social (FEDES) as a strategic ally of the University for the promotion and sustainable development of the communities and its Escuela de Negocios EDES as executor of the academic training. UTPL consists of six academic modules that will be taught in the form of online studies, covering content such as leadership, motivation, finance, and digital culture, among others. The modules are focused on strengthening the skills and competencies of the female shrimp farmers.
Camilo Pinzón, general director of EDES Business School, Business School of the UTPL said that “contributing to the social and economic development of the territories is a priority for the academy. We recognize that through the alliance with the Continuing Education Program for Women Entrepreneurs and Cargill, we can strengthen the territorial capacities of the shrimp sector and the personal and professional leadership of women engaged in this activity.”
