Female Leadership: The Quiet Force Behind Mexico's Mango Exports

Mexico is the world’s leading mango exporter and the fifth-largest producer globally, shipping hundreds of thousands of tons annually, primarily to the United States, but increasingly to Europe and beyond. The sector is professionalizing, diversifying, and under pressure to modernize. Yet, when I started asking who is actually running the day-to-day operations of mango export companies, something interesting emerged: women are more present in leadership than the sector’s public image suggests.

I sat down with two of them.

Built on Female Labor, Few Female Owners

The numbers tell a contradictory story. According to Myrna Castro, director general of the Mexican Mango Exporters Association (EMEX), women represent the vast majority of the packing house workforce, handling sorting, labeling, and assembling boxes. The physical stacking and loading, however, remains predominantly male. At the management level of EMEX’s own offices, the split is 50/50. But at the top, the picture changes sharply: Women account for just 4.5% of packing-house ownership, and there are no women on EMEX’s board of directors. The gap between those realities is where the conversation gets interesting.

There is, however, a reason for cautious optimism. Second generations are coming through, and among them, women are present and preparing to lead. But Myrna is clear: that potential needs to be actively cultivated. Developing leaders, men and women alike, with soft skills and real leadership capabilities is urgent work the sector cannot postpone.

Myrna Castro: Growing Into Leadership

Myrna did not arrive at the directorship of EMEX through a grand plan. She started in the accounting department, was promoted to administrative manager, and in 2016 was appointed to what is now called the director general role. It is a trajectory that many women in this sector will recognize: not a straight line, but an organic rise built on showing up and delivering.

Today, her responsibilities span everything from coordinating the board of directors and managing EMEX’s annual budget, to maintaining direct relations with USDA and SENASICA, supporting the National Mango Board’s annual producer training events, and managing alliances with national producer associations. The scope is wide. The visibility, historically, has been less so.

When I asked Myrna about barriers for women in the sector, her answer was measured and honest: “I believe the opportunity for women to integrate into agro is advancing significantly. However, we cannot ignore that there are still areas of effort.” She sees the relationship between men and women in the sector as complementary rather than competitive, each bringing different strengths to the chain. What she does not shy away from is naming what is missing: childcare, play centers, health access in the field, and formal training programs specifically designed to support women working in packing houses and on farms.

EMEX does not yet have a dedicated women’s development program. Myrna is candid about this: “There is a need, and if we had the opportunity, we would absolutely want to build it.” That honesty matters. Acknowledging the gap is the first step toward closing it.

What EMEX is doing is raising the quality bar across the chain. The association is implementing a quality management seal covering every step of the production process, from field to export. In a sector where buyers increasingly demand traceability and consistency, this kind of structural investment matters.

Myrna also brings a wider lens to the conversation: “From a global perspective, all agri-food activity needs more innovation, resilience, and effective decision-making. Speaking with references from different countries, I believe women bring innovation, but with inspiration toward what we do.” It is a framing that moves beyond representation as a fairness argument and makes it a strategic one.

Her message to young women considering a career in agro export: This is a profession where you can develop fully, as a professional and as part of a global food chain. Women bring a natural orientation toward integral well-being, not just the work itself, but the human context around it. In an industry under growing pressure around social audits and supply chain transparency, that is a competitive advantage.

Lizeth Barajas: A Young Leader 

If Myrna represents the institutional perspective, Lizeth represents the next generation, and she arrived at leadership the hard way.

At 22, she stepped into a key administrative role at ProebaPack, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when those previously in the position were forced to step away due to illness. There was simply no one else to take it on. With no prior experience, she learned in real time, asking questions, researching, and solving problems as the season unfolded. She now sits on the company’s board of directors.

Today, the company has the highest export volumes to the United States and Canada, while expanding its organic production and setting its sights on the Japanese market as its next strategic destination.

Women make up 65% of the workforce, and most management roles, human resources, procurement, cost control, and operations are led by women. Not by policy, but by performance.

Barajas speaks candidly about the challenges. Leading teams of people older than her required humility and collaboration rather than imposed authority. It also meant learning to separate the personal from the professional, particularly within a family-run business.

Her conclusion is clear: Women need spaces to share their experiences. Not for recognition, but to build confidence, strengthen their sense of security, and grow together. Understanding that making mistakes is part of the process, not a sign that they don’t belong, is essential to moving forward with greater freedom and authenticity.

Because when the fear of failure is set aside, space opens up for innovation, leadership, and new opportunities.

What the Sector Needs Next

Both Myrna and Lizeth point, from different angles, to the same underlying issue: Female talent is present, but the supporting infrastructure is not. No childcare. Limited mentorship pathways. No formal programs to bring women into ownership or senior leadership at scale. The women who have made it have largely done so despite the system, not because of it.

The mango sector is at a moment of real transformation. Buyers in Europe and Japan are raising the bar on certifications, social audits, and traceability. Myrna notes that certifications have become a prerequisite rather than a differentiator: without them, you simply cannot sell. But more certifications also mean more cost, and that cost is rarely recovered at the point of sale, a tension the sector has yet to resolve. Technology and professionalization are no longer optional either, and bringing younger people into the industry is increasingly urgent.

The female leaders quietly changing the game are already present. The question for the sector is whether it will build the infrastructure to bring more of them in, faster, and with less left to chance.