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Poverty

Project Profile

Food for Life

The Food for Life cooperative aims to improve the lives of local rural farmers, farmworkers, and their families by establishing an equitable market for their products and by reinforcing safe and efficient farming. Support this project through financial contributions and prayer.  

Cause:

Location

Field Staff:

Local Partner:

Kabuganaan Philippines Ministries (KPM)

The Situation

In the Philippines, the farming population is one of the most impoverished groups of people. Farmers are often dependent on traders. Products such as palay (unhusked rice grains) sell at much lower rates to traders, which is insufficient to cover high input loan interest rates. By getting into debt to traders, farmers are often unable to feed their families, especially in the off-season. Further, consumers are left vulnerable to a high number of unsafe and genetically modified food imports without access to sustainably and locally grown food products. In 2018, more than 17, 000 people were affected by food-borne diseases in the Philippines.

CBM’s partnership with KPM in providing technology, training, and an opportunity to sell produce at equitable rates seeks to protect farmers, farmworkers, and consumers in Capiz Province from exploitation and unsafe food. 

The Food for Life cooperative aims to improve the lives of local rural farmers, farmworkers, and their families by establishing an equitable market for their products and by reinforcing safe and efficient farming. Support this project through financial contributions and prayer.  

The Situation

In the Philippines, the farming population is one of the most impoverished groups of people. Farmers are often dependent on traders. Products such as palay (unhusked rice grains) sell at much lower rates to traders, which is insufficient to cover high input loan interest rates. By getting into debt to traders, farmers are often unable to feed their families, especially in the off-season. Further, consumers are left vulnerable to a high number of unsafe and genetically modified food imports without access to sustainably and locally grown food products. In 2018, more than 17, 000 people were affected by food-borne diseases in the Philippines.

CBM’s partnership with KPM in providing technology, training, and an opportunity to sell produce at equitable rates seeks to protect farmers, farmworkers, and consumers in Capiz Province from exploitation and unsafe food. 

How We Are Helping

Here are ways the Food for Life project impacts farmers and their communities in Capiz Province:   

Working with farmers to improve their livelihood 

Farmers in the program sell their produce to the Food for Life cooperative and BUGANA retail store, another initiative of KPM, to ensure the sale of locally grown produce and other handcrafted goods.   

Providing resources for farmers 

Resources such as seeds, pre-harvest, and post-harvest facilities, and System for Rice Intensification technology are ensured through low-interest rates, encouraging safe agriculture and independence from traders.  

Ensuring quality food on the market 

Produce grown by local farmers is organic, and customers get educated on what they are consuming.  

The Impact of Our Work

Noe is a farmer co-operator of the Food for Life project, who was aware of local farmers that get caught in debt traps by rice traders. They are trapped in poverty, unable to provide healthy food for their families, medicine, or higher education for their children. As an agriculturist who also farms, Noe’s involvement in this project has been a source of joy as he eagerly shares with others his knowledge and capability. He advocates for organic and integrated farming and wants to help other farmers increase their yield and participate in environmentally friendly farming.   

Photo of Food for Life gathering in the Philippines
“There’s a need to design a farming system that promotes human dignity and integrity of the whole of creation. I’m inspired by helping to manage this project and to provide technical services and support to the farmers.”  
“Farmers are improving their way of farming and learning new technologies. They begin to realize that farming is not isolated from their spirituality. The church is taking up the challenge to walk and journey with farmers producing disciples that care for the environment and the integrity of God’s creation.”