Pictures of the Year International

While a few large companies dominate Peru’s booming blueberry industry, a growing number of medium-sized farmers are carving out their place in the market. In La Libertad, where micro-crime is rampant, some of these producers are forced to arm themselves to protect their fields from blueberry theft and the theft of agricultural machinery. The farmers refer to the blueberries as ‘blue gold.’ In the photo, the owner of a small blueberry farm transports his load to the packaging company, guarding the shipment while armed.