Justino Peck

Chairman, Toledo Cocoa Grower's Association

Justino Peck is the Chairman of the Toledo Cocoa Grower's Association (TCGA), a 750-member cocoa cooperative located in the most impoverished region of Belize. In 1991, Justino Peck emerged as a powerful and charismatic leader as he and his fellow farmers tackled the challenge of a cocoa price crisis. Two years later, Justino, already Chairman of the Village Council, became the Chairman of TCGA "to help rescue myself and the farmers from the dire situation we faced then."

Justino Peck is also the Alcalde (magistrate) of San Jose, a Mayan village with a population of 700, one community phone, and no electricity or central water system. In his role as Alcalde, Peck arbitrates minor disputes between village members. A leading community figure, Justino remains connected to local issues by attending Village Council meetings and tending to his own cacao trees.