When Claudio Nunes arrived in the Cobán area in Central Guatemala in the spring of 2015, he met small-scale farmers who, for the past three years, had their cardamom fields devastated by a tiny insect. As a result, the price of cardamom had plummeted. Nunes, a 59-year-old entomologist specializing in tropical pest control, was assigned by the Uniterra volunteer cooperation program to work with the Cardamom Exporters Association of Guatemala to develop a plan to fight the infestation. Originally from Uruguay, Nunes has a PhD in biology from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). He was working as a biologist in Quebec laboratories, when he decided to return to Central America to share his skills and expertise with local communities. 
    

“I wanted to fight inequality and poverty in rural areas,” explained Nunes who, at 23, had come to Canada as a political refugee. “Growing up in this area during such tumultuous times and my political activism definitely propelled me towards social involvement. But more than anything, it has been so motivating to feel that I am being truly useful.” 

In Cobán, Claudio Nunes works with about 15 technicians.
     

“I collect data in the farmers’ plots to assess the effectiveness of the control methods in place. At the office, I then analyse the data and report the findings in scientific articles or in plain language brochures.”
    

In the early part of his assignment, he formally identified the pest in question – the cardamom thrip. “When we find a solution, we present the findings to farmers, train technicians and organize conferences.” Nunes has also been working towards a specialized research centre, which advocates for an integrated pest management program. The ultimate goal is to eliminate widespread spraying of toxic pesticides. For Guatemala, the number one producer and exporter of cardamom in the world, this is a tremendous challenge.
    

The Uniterra program consists of 600 volunteers, 200 local partners and more than 50 Canadian businesses and organizations who make lasting commitments every year in Africa, Asia and the Americas. It is jointly operated by the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) and the Centre for International Studies and Cooperation (CECI) and undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada. For more information about available assignments, go to www.uniterra.ca