Nexus Final Advisory Board Meeting: Sharing results with our Colca Valley partners
March 27, 2026
On March 16, the Arequipa Nexus Institute held its final Advisory Board meeting in the city of Chivay, Arequipa, Peru, marking an important moment to share the achievements and lessons learned from Phase III Nexus projects over the past two years.
The meeting took place at the Caylloma Provincial Municipality Auditorium and brought together seventeen participants, including community leaders from Madrigal, Yanque, and Sibayo – the three communities that have closely collaborated with Nexus throughout this phase. Nexus Program Manager, Rosa Cossio, opened the event with an overview of the Nexus Institute and the scope of Phase III activities across the Colca Valley. UNSA Nexus Codirector and Principal Investigator (PI) of the Organic Farming Systems (OFS) project, Dennis Macedo, then introduced the projects presentations. He emphasized one of the most important outcomes of Phase III: building strong relationships of trust with community leaders. These connections, he noted, create a foundation for future collaboration and will support continued efforts to improve product quality and agricultural productivity in the region.
The session continued with presentations from UNSA Co-PI Victor Pacheco (Camelids project) and PI Carmen Franco (Regenerative Tourism project). The Renewable Energy project was presented by the Nexus Program Manager. Each presentation was followed by open discussion, allowing Advisory Board members to ask questions, share reflections, and provide constructive feedback.
Advisory Board members highlighted several key recommendations for future work, including: 1) expanding targeted training and technical support for sustainable practices; 2) adapting research communication to account for varying education levels among producers, including translating technical information into more accessible formats; and 3) continuing Nexus initiatives in the Colca Valley to build on the progress achieved so far. The meeting concluded as both a reflection on two years of collaborative work and a shared commitment to strengthening partnerships that support sustainable development in the Colca Valley.
Contact Details
- Rosa Cossio
- rcossio@purdue.edu
- 765-494-0721
