Barrick Beyond Borders - May 2012 - Barrick Gold Corporation

TOP: FROM RIGHT TO LEFT: FARMING COOPERATIVE OWNER MARCELO TEJADA (RIGHT) WITH HIS SON, GUSTAVO TEJADA, AND LOCAL FARMERS DAMIAN QUILPATAYAND RAMON CASTILLO, WHO SUPPLY SEEDS TO INTERNATIONAL MARKETS. BOTTOM MIDDLE: THE MAIN LIBRARY IN IGLESIA, WHICH NOW INCLUDES A MODERNCOMPUTER LAB WITH INTERNET ACCESS DONATED BY BARRICK. BARRICK IS FUNDING A FIVE-YEAR EXPANSION AND UPGRADE OF THE LIBRARY.Association of Jachal. Today Rodrigues is one of the company’smost important stakeholders in the region, representing some 450farmers. Rodrigues was highly suspicious of the mining industrywhen it entered the region, but over time, as he began to engagewith the company, a mutual understanding has developed.We met Rodrigues at the association’s offices, which are locatedin a two-story facility whose construction was funded by Barrick.The building also features a farmer's market where local farmerssell their produce. During my visit, Rodrigues and Greco discussedthe challenges facing farmers, which include limited water accessand inadequate irrigation channels, as well as strategies to addressthese issues.“The goal is to keep farmers on the farm, working and profitable,”Greco said, as we traveled to three cooperative farms in Iglesiaand Jachal. “In San Juan, a number of family farms have a smallplot of land and a single horse, and they struggle to survive.”Our last stop was to El Porvinir, where we met Marcelo Tejadaand a small group of farmers who run a successful 17-hectarecooperative farming operation. Greco’s team provided technicalsupport, tools, machinery and fertilizer, helping to transform thisfarm into an international exporter of tomato and onion seeds.Tejada’s son is an agronomist who helps his father and also workspart-time at Veladero.The El Porvinir cooperative is one of several farming cooperativesin San Juan supported by Barrick that have becomeprofitable agribusinesses. The company provides technical support,machinery, as well as access to leading agronomists to enablethese operations to sell their seeds and sun-dried tomato productsto countries like Holland and Brazil.After a solid week of trekking through farmer's fields, meetingwith community leaders, and visiting projects, I learned about thechallenges people face in this region and the positive impact ofBarrick’s programs. It is clear to me that Greco and his team area part of the community and deeply invested in the people of SanJuan and their future. ■May 2012 27