PERUANA

"But the farmer is the one doing all of the work and they gain the least in this process," Muñoz said.To solve this issue, she first focused on directly purchasing peppers from farmers for a higher price. But while this allowed for greater profits, this didn't vastly improve farmers' quality of life. Further research led her to her true solution: irrigation. "I noticed the most expensive thing for farmers is water. They need a lot of water to nourish these kinds of plants, and whichever way they get it—from the city or from a nearby area—is very labor- intensive and expensive." Working directly with farmers, Muñoz committed to helping them put in place infrastructure that makes their work sustainable. Later this month, she will be traveling to Peru to help install an irrigation system for a local farm. With her business expanding— she reports ordering nearly twice as much sauce for her most recent shipment from Peru (48K up from 25K)—and a new US distributor, Muñoz plans to add a couple new flavors next year. "I used to eat very bland," she said. "But whenever I was cooking, I was adding sauce to everything. I want people to enjoy its flavor, and feel good about the product's impact and origins. I know that once they try it, this will become their new everything sauce!""