Despite the happy face behind this Filipino farmer, the farming industry in the Philippines is a dying breed. The average living age of the farmer in the country is 57 years old and the younger generation are no longer interested to till the land because of its association with poverty. Indeed, farming and the farmer's life has been a lonely profession.
But we have thought of cheering up our dear farmers by becoming their best buddies!
Who we are:
A buddy by definition means a close friend and a companion.
Bukid Buddies is a group of social entrepreneurs who have decided to be the Philippines farmers' close friend and companion. We help farmers:
- store and transport their goods through providing them affordable storage facilities.
- distribute their goods directly to consumers through our Farm-to-You vegetable subscription program and supermarket partnerships.
- raise appreciation for the farming industry by bringing in public volunteers from local and international groups to live and experience life in farming communities.
We stand for:
- Fairtrade Practices,
that every farmer must be paid what is due to them and be given the best opportunities to grow their business and improves their lives.
- Organic Farming,
we believe in providing the public a healthy and pesticide free food produce.
- Community Empowerment,
that all sectors from the society, public and private will work towards the empowerment of our farmers, as they serve a critical role of feeding and nourishing the people.
We hope that you embark with us in this journey by supporting our programs and help us spread about the Bukid Buddies Social Enterprise. :)
Will you supply in the Philippines only?
ReplyDeleteAt this stage we are focused on the Philippines and have plans to scale up by expanding across the country. But if our model proves successful there, we're definitely open to looking at other countries (probably in the same region) to see whether the model is transferable.
DeleteHi there, yes, Philippines only. It is ideal that the produce of farmers goes to the community they belong to. Unfortunately, exports have been affecting our local farmers badly because our local produce are competing with the imported vegetables from China.
DeleteIf you are interested to avail a similar service here in Melbourne, I got across a vegetable delivery service with Kelly Farms.. http://www.kelly-bros.com.au . I even emailed them if they can accommodate me for internship.. :) I am really interested with the model and how I can make it work for this project in my country. :)
I like what you stand for and I especially like that you are providing market solutions for your farmers - great work.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Deletewhen are you planning to kick start the project in Philippine?
ReplyDeleteHi Emete, I'll be back in the Philippines by August of next year. I plan to spend at least a month or 2 of volunteer work with a non-profit organisation working with farming communities in the Philippines, then get things started. :)
ReplyDeleteHow much investment require for the project?
ReplyDelete