Monica Ognio

I am a second-generation farmer from Peru, proudly continuing a family legacy rooted in innovation, sustainability, and education. Our farms are located in the north and south of Lima (Fundo Migani in Végueta, Huaura, and Fundo Don Marvin in Ica) where we primarily grow sweet onions for the international market. We also cultivate pumpkins, grapes (used to produce artisanal Peruvian pisco), black olives, avocados, pecans, and maintain experimental plots for purple carrots and citrus. Our farms include beekeeping for honey production and raising free-range chickens, rabbits, and Peruvian cuy (guinea pig). We use drip irrigation and work with both communal water systems and saline well water, adapting to the extreme conditions of Peru's coastal desert. Sustainability is central to our work; we reuse plastic irrigation materials and actively reduce on-farm waste. In 2024, I joined the Global Farmer Network to amplify the voices of farmers in global conversations about trade, technology, sustainability, and food security. I'm also the founder of Onnicrunch, a healthy, value-added snack made from surplus onions using infrared drying technology. This product embodies our commitment to circular economy principles, reducing waste and extending the life cycle of our crops. Outside the farm, I work in the education sector and have integrated agriculture into Early Years curricula by establishing a school orchard. My work bridges agriculture, innovation, and education to foster change from the ground up.

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