Background: A woman, a farm, and a mission Every harvest begins with a seed. But the story of Pestales Agriculture Cooperative began with something else—a question. Why do the people who work the hardest often earn the least? I am Jenalyn A. Entoy, Chairperson and Founder of Pestales Agriculture Cooperative, a grassroots social enterprise committed […]
What does it take to connect small-scale farmers with public schools, government food programs, and other institutional buyers? Today is Day 1 of the Learning and Documentation Workshop on School Feeding and Institutional Food Procurement. Participants from 12 agri-cooperatives began exploring this question by sharing their experiences, challenges, innovations, and lessons from engaging with school […]
Quezon City, Philippines — The four-day FARM (Financing Agrochemical Reduction and Management) Module Development Workshop officially kicked off on September 1, 2026, bringing together farmer leaders, technical experts, resource persons, module developers, and development partners to strengthen training materials on safer and more sustainable crop protection. Organized by the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) in partnership with […]
The Unfinished Business of Agrarian Reform in the PhilippinesBy Nikka Rivera Agrarian reform in the Philippines was never only about distributing land. When the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted in 1988, it sought to address longstanding inequalities in land ownership and land concentration by redistributing agricultural land to landless farmers and farmworkers, securing their […]
The municipality of Jaro in the province of Leyte is home to the Campagal Bangon Producers and Agri-Tourism Association (CBPATA), a community where farmers are demonstrating that agriculture can take a different path. Through CBPATA, local farmers are embracing agroecology and natural farming practices as a way to build healthier farms, strengthen livelihoods, and protect […]
The Philippines is taking steps toward a more coordinated national approach to agroecological transition, as Philippine members of the Agroecology Coalition (AE) met with leaders of the Department of Agriculture to discuss how agroecology can be strengthened in national policies and practice. The consultation, organized by the Agroecology Coalition in Quezon City, Philippines on 7 […]
Cotabato City, Philippines — Cooperative leaders from across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will convene on June 29–30, 2026, in Cotabato City for the BARMMCoops Leadership Conference, themed “BARMM Cooperatives Advancing Integrated Diversified Organic Family Farming Systems (IDOFFS) and Inclusive Public Food Procurement for Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods.” The conference will […]
BARMMCOOPS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCEBARMM Cooperatives together with PAKISAMA, AFA, and AGRICOOPH Advancing IDOFFS and Inclusive Public Food Procurement for Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods June 29-30, 2026 | Peñafrancia Safe Haven Hostel, Cotabato City Through the SPADe-supported Integrated Diversified Organic Family Farming System (IDOFFS) initiative in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), PAKISAMA has […]
