In Search Of The Wizard Of Sustainability

In pursuit of the new PH Agriculture with Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie, my new contribution comprises the concept I call The Wizard Of Os, where the 5 Os are: Obstacles, Opportunities, Options, Outputs, and Outcomes.

Here now is anotherjob for The Wizard!

Obstacles

They are all over the place – read!

Opportunities

Jica Simpas, Content Producer at Pepper.ph, writes, “Here Are 4 Organizations That Work Directly with Our Local Farmers[1]:

BukidFresh – Aaron David & Gorby Dimalanta work with small farmers who are members of coops in Cavite and Laguna.

Farm To Folk – Ms Jica does not say where FTF operates.

Good Food Community – Adrienne Tan & Carl Lee work with farmer groups in Capas, Tarlac and Dumagats from Rizal.

Real Food – Nicole Olbés Fandiño goes for healthy, clean food – free of chemicals, hormones and preservatives. She works with farmers from different places. She says:

We have visited many of their farms and have seen their passion – we’ve seen how they respect the earth and treat their animals humanely. Their produce is a cut above the rest and we value this.

Outputs

I see the 4 food companies steadfastly working with farmers to sell farm produce.

Outcomes?

All that is Very Good, in fact Excellent – all cultivating the farmers they are dealing with. But how are they cultivating entrepreneurship among the farmers and/or cooperatives of which they are members? Who determines the price any time, and are the farmers in fact earning sustainable incomes arising from marketing arrangements?

Says Farm to Folk: “In a way, we empower our local farmers to be businessmen themselves.” No, FTF. I do not see that is happening. They are producing and delivering farm produce, but that is less than half of being in business. The bigger part of entrepreneurship is marketing plus duly receiving the equitable share of the added values along the chain. Without a fair marketing contract, I do not see entrepreneurship happening.

Says FTF further:

The process is simple and direct, just as our brand name. We source the goods, which includes grains, coconut, cacao, fruit/veg powders, and coffee, straight from farms, fulfilling orders to our customers.

That is to say, Farm To Folk is buying and selling the farmers’ produce – now, who determines the price and who gets the lion’s share of the added values? If it is not the farmers earning more, then they are actually helping themselves more and helping farmers less!

Farm To Folk believes that “the ultimate power to help create impactful change in our agriculture sector rests on the Filipino folk. With increased demand for local, organic products, our Filipino farmers can have fair, sustainable livelihood.” No FTF. That is not correct. It is notdemand that singlehandedly determines sustainable livelihoods – it is equitable distribution of values added.

I see the 4 organizations are doing their best for the producers, but their best is not enough – someone must teach the farmers to be entrepreneurial themselves, conscious and able to turn costs & returns in their favor –leading towards sustainable & desirable lives!@517

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[1]https://www.pepper.ph/here-are-4-organizations-that-work-directly-with-our-local-farmers/?fbclid=IwAR3Ozv4M7dDF99GbQs6qMsGrXsUlGu6lwGHUzDTP_XgDjoPejP2ctLUjLaY