Before deciding what our project would focus on, our team did research on issues in our country that could be solved with the use of synthetic biology. We found that cadmium pollution in cacao plantations within Peru’s jungles was affecting the incomes of thousands of rural families who farmed cacao for a living. This is when we decided to try to find a solution to this problem, which might be neglected by the government and the media. In order to find out more about the condition for th environment and the implementation of our proyect, we worked with Alianza Cacao, an organization that focuses on the cacao industry in Peru. We met with the national director, Mr. Yturrios, who gave us great insight on the implementation of our project and the severity of our problem. Alianza cacao is already trying to help the thousands of rural families in Peru, however, synthetic biology is a new method that hasn’t been used. Do to the low levels of development throughout the country, methods involving synthetic biology are not readily available, which is why our project is so important as part fo the solution to this problem.
Our team is proud of the potential impact our project could have. After extensive research, and learning the severity of the issue of cadmium pollution in cacao, we don’t have a doubt that our work is responsible, and good for the world. There are many issues like cadmium pollution that go unnoticed by most, but teams like us, working to find a solution, can really make a change.