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By Perucaña, Perú –
A sustainable industry must operate efficiently and responsibly, but it must also have well-trained professionals who understand the sector and are eager to become part of its future. Guided by this conviction, Perucaña has been promoting the “From the Classroom to the Field” program since 2022. This industry-wide initiative connects university and technical students with the realities of the sugarcane agribusiness sector, strengthens their technical skills, and encourages their interest in research.
Today, the program operates in Piura, La Libertad, Áncash, and Lima, in coordination with public universities and technical institutes, and with the support of affiliated sugar companies. More than 1,500 students have participated since its launch, and in 2026, we expect to reach approximately 350 young people from different academic programs and educational institutions.
The program begins in the classroom with three master classes led by specialists from the affiliated companies, who explain the industry’s value chain, field operations, and sugarcane processing. It concludes with visits to a sugar mill near each university, where students tour both the fields and the processing facilities accompanied by company employees. This hands-on experience allows them to see firsthand what they have learned in the classroom. Participating students also have the opportunity to apply for paid pre-professional internships at affiliated companies. This year, the first interns have already joined four companies in La Libertad, Piura, and Lima.
“From the Classroom to the Field” brings together students from agronomy, agricultural engineering, agro-industrial engineering, industrial engineering, chemical engineering, and biotechnology programs. This diversity of academic backgrounds highlights the many ways professionals can contribute to the industry, from crop management in the field and the processing of sugarcane derivatives to the recovery and reuse of by-products. Each student gains access to first-hand information, direct interaction with highly qualified specialists, and a tangible pathway toward their first professional experience. This is a collective effort built by the industry, bringing together the expertise of its sugar mills for the benefit of younger generations and the communities where they operate.
A program of this complexity, spanning four regions and bringing together universities, companies, and students from diverse academic backgrounds, has generated valuable lessons over the years. Systematically documenting these lessons led to the development of a more robust protocol, which now guides coordination with universities, the delivery of presentations, the organization of technical visits, and safety standards. This is how we learn, improve, standardize our processes, and, above all, ensure a high-quality learning experience for every student.
Having this experience documented also opens up an interesting opportunity. If shared, this model could serve as a reference for other companies and industries seeking to develop their own initiatives to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. For Perucaña, the sustainability of the sector is also built through talent: young people who understand the industry, recognize its contribution to the country’s development, and have the tools to help move it forward.
“From the Classroom to the Field” demonstrates that, through coordinated efforts, the sugar agribusiness industry can become a source of learning and opportunities for the generations who will shape its future.
