The Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) on Sustainable Agriculture initiative of the SM Foundation has been working to empower farmers from marginalized areas since its founding in 2007. To increase their capabilities, the program has given farmers access to contemporary farming methods and entrepreneurship skills.
One hundred farmers from Laoag, Ilocos Norte, are among the recent graduates. They are now more equipped to handle obstacles and take advantage of opportunities in the agriculture industry after finishing a 14-week training program.
New hope for fresh graduates
Along with fundamental business skills like bookkeeping, marketing, and financial literacy, the program addressed climate-resilient tactics, crop rotation, and organic agricultural methods.
One of the recent alumni, Ferdinand Claro, talked about how the curriculum changed the way they think about farming.
“Before KSK, we were simply reacting to problems as they came—no plan, no strategy. Floods and strong winds would wipe out what little we had during typhoons,” he said.
The SM Foundation's goal of improving communities is being furthered by the KSK farmers in Laoag. The foundation's dedication to social good is shown in the current batch's focus on supporting initiatives that deal with food and nutrition and KSK alumni John Lei's sharing of contemporary agricultural methods with other farmers.
Scaling up local farmers
Farmers are diversifying into livestock farming and expanding their enterprises with these new abilities. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) also recently handed over a two-million seed capital in Laoag to support this.
As a result, farmers will be able to diversify their revenue streams by using the award, which will be divided among the associations collectively, to buy livestock, construct animal shelters, and buy animal feed.
The new batches have also successfully established their farmer's associations. Fresh produce is now being sold in their communities, with one association making P8,000 from their demonstration farm. This will even help them provide fresh products to the DSWD's Zero Hunger Program in Laoag, an effort to reduce hunger and ensure nutrition security, in addition to selling in neighborhood markets.
SM Supermalls, DSWD, DTI, DOST, DA, DOLE, TESDA, and the Laoag City Local Government are partners in the recent KSK.
