Maria Elena Perez

Colombian environmental engineer who pioneered soil conservation techniques in the Andean mountains

Maria Elena Perez (1930-2011) was a Colombian civil engineer whose innovative terracing methods transformed agricultural practices in the Andes. After witnessing devastating soil erosion in Cundinamarca region during the 1950s coffee boom, she developed a system combining ancient indigenous techniques with modern engineering principles. Her Andean Stepwise Agriculture system used layered terraces with water retention channels, increasing crop yields by 40% while preventing landslides. In 1965, she co-founded the Terrazas de Colombia cooperative, training over 2000 farmers in her methods. Her 1970 publication Living with the Mountains became a regional textbook, and her techniques were adopted by UNDP projects across Latin America. Perez's work was recognized by UNESCO in 1980 with the Man and the Biosphere Award. Today, her methods are still used in Colombia's coffee-growing regions, preserving 1.2 million hectares of mountainous farmland.