Maria Elena Foronda Farro

Maria Elena Foronda Farro (born January 4, 1959) is a Peruvian sociologist and environmentalist. She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2003, for her campaigns of improving waste treatment from the country's fishmeal industry. She was elected as congresswoman for the region of Ancash in 2016 as a member of The Broad Front for Justice, Life, and Freedom.

Growing up in Chimbote after her birth in Lima, her father inspired her interests in social issues through his work as a union lawyer. In Lima, Farro studied sociology; she went on to attain a master's degree in the subject at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. After completing her degree in the '80s, she returned to Chimbote to volunteer at Terra Nuova, an NGO that fosters sustainable development in countries in Africa and Latin America.

While she is no longer in congress, she is the director of the NGO Natura, which she co-founded in order to help improve both the environment and lives of the people within the low-income areas of Chimbote. Foronda founded another environmental organization, the Association for the Defense and Conservation for the province of Santa, as well.