The Problem
For many decades, the Filipino rice farmer has lived knowing two familiar cycles: the first is of planting and harvest; the other, a cycle of poverty.
While the first is necessary for his living, we, at FARMVOCACY, believe the other is not.
However, current farming systems continuously conspire to keep the farmer entrenched in a cycle of poverty. Among them:
• High interest rates for farming loans (up to 5%-8% per month; usually through “loan sharks”)
• Low yield on harvest time due to outdated farming practices
• Opportunistic traders who buy the yield below market value
• Influx of imported rice from neighboring Asian countries
• No access to markets where they can sell their produce for profit
Our Solution
With the farmer already living on an average daily wage of just $0.50, we, at FARMVOCACY, would like to step up to the plate on the farmer’s behalf; and we invite you to join us.
Our intent is to uplift the lives of farmers by improving their means of living. We will make this possible by disrupting the current system and removing the unprincipled middlemen (loan sharks/traders) from the farming cycle. Furthermore, we will make this agricultural reboot sustainable by involving the community.
In this model of Community-Supported Sustainable Agriculture (CSSA) – which counts you, rice consumers, and other concerned individuals – directly participates in the FUNDING and PURCHASE of the farmers’ produce through a system of subscription. This guarantees that farmers are fairly funded and their produce bought at a fair price.
In exchange, the community is assured of sustainably-grown, traceable, high-quality rice.
Through implementing a fairer farming system, FARMVOCACY will offer farmers:
• Provision of sustainable, certified-organic farm inputs (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides) that increase yield by 40%
• Buying of produce at higher than market value
• Connection to a wider market of consumers through on-ground and online platforms
FARMVOCACY projects that these will help increase farmers’ earnings by 370%.
Our initial beneficiaries will be the rice farmers of Mindoro – an island known for growing the Dinorado rice variant, regarded for its aroma and delicacy. It is also the island where the poorest rice farmers are. Because Mindoro is an island, most of the farmers there pay more for farm inputs and get less for their farm produce. This is because the inputs and harvested rice need to be shipped to and from the main island of Luzon, where the highly urbanized cities are located.
It is here where FARMVOCACY has worked most with farmers the last 5 years through:
• Provision of sustainable farm inputs – Introducing certified organic fertilizers and pesticides that increase yield and are environmentally-friendly.
• Technology and training – Meeting with farming towns and partnering with state universities for research, we’ve identified new farming practices that are both efficient and, again, environmentally-friendly.
For this campaign, our target is to raise $300,000 for the benefit of:
• 160 rice farmers…
• in 4,000,000 square meters of farmland…
• over a 5 to 6-month planting season.
We are confident to deliver on a system of sustainable agriculture that not only cultivates fair farming, uplifts the lives of Filipino rice farmers, involves the community, and eradicates traditional opportunistic methods; but could also serve as a model for farmers of other produce in other areas.
Call to Action
We are targeting to sustain lives of at least 40 smallholder rice farmers in Mindoro (as a start) who will plant 100 hectares of rice in a sustainable way.
Our campaign runs from November 16 to December 15, 2019 ONLY. Since our crowdfunding is ALL-OR-NOTHING, we commit that we will NOT take your pledges until we hit this tipping point of $75,000. We want to make a difference in the world so please help us reach our funding goal.
Please donate and be a part of our community of farmvocates.
Finally, please share our campaign to your friends and family.
Together, we can sustain and uplift many lives, one farmer at a time!
Thank you for your support!
Contact us
Contact no.: +63 917 884 0711
email address: [email protected]
You may also follow us on
https://www.facebook.com/Farmvocacy/
Rewards
Below are illustrative guides of the donation amounts and the corresponding rewards.
Once you’ve made your choice, look for the clickable boxes below or on the side of this page.
Other ways to donate:
For donations via Gcash or bank transfer, please contact +639178840711
How the rewards can benefit you:
For rice consumers residing in Metro Manila
Our campaign asks for your donation, but it's actually a rice subscription! By choosing to donate as FARMVOCATE 1 - 4, or BRONZE FARMVOCATE, It's like buying your family's monthly rice requirement for the same cost in supermarkets, but delivered to you for FREE, all while uplifting the lives of farmers and their family! This can be the new way of buying your monthly rice for your family.
Your contribution will guarantee our grower partners that there is already a committed market for their produce before they even plant a single seed. This is the essence of Community-Supported Sustainable Agriculture.
For OFWs and Filipinos residing abroad
If you are overseas and your family back home lives within Metro Manila, you can choose to donate as FARMVOCATE 1 - 4, or BRONZE FARMVOCATE. In doing so, it's like subscribing to a monthly rice allocation delivered directly to your family or relatives in Metro Manila! In fact you can even choose to have the rice delivered to a charitable institution within Metro Manila.
Non-Filipino Donors
Your donation will go a long way to help uplift farmers from extreme poverty. You may choose to select a charitable institution in Metro Manila (we can suggest one for you), or anyone whom you want to send the rice sacks to. Your generous donation will do two things: uplift farmers, and provide rice to charity as well!
We can still send you your item rewards.
Food Service Business Owners
Use the rice rewards for your food business, or use it as incentives for your various employee programs. Leverage on our social rewards to build affinity with your consumers via your social media page.
