Help us improve the environment and livelihood of thousands of small-holder coconut farmers in Mindanao
The Philippines is the biggest exporter of 38 coconut-based primary and by-products, mainly coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coconut cream, milk, and water. Mindanao is the top producer of coconut in the Philippines. Despite the high price of coconut products in the international market, coconut farmers are among the most impoverished farmers in Mindanao, earning only $5.00 a day. The ones who truly benefit from the coconut sales are the few capitalists, middlemen, and multinational companies who can invest millions in consolidating and processing the coconuts of poor farmers.
The organizations of coconut farmers in the region articulated their need for a community-based coconut processing hub to earn additional income from coconut products and by-products. As a result, FARMCOOP responded and collaborated with (32) Small Coconut Farmers’ Organizations and Cooperatives in Mindanao to co-develop the Organic Coconut Processing Project to realize their goal.
The project will
- Facilitate the conversion of the small family farming coconut farms from conventional to organic farms;
- Engage and capacitate the small scale farmers in organic farming;
- Build the facility and support system to gather the whole organic coconuts and process these into products such as coconut oil, coconut water, coconut sugar, coconut flour, among others;
- Market the processed products to the national and international market;
- Share 30% from the net profit of the organic coconut processed products to the smallholder family farmers; and
- Create community development projects.
Long-Term Impact of the Project
Social and Economic
Upscaling this project will raise the income of over 10,000 small coconut local and indigenous farmers, and 4,500 women farmers
Environmental
Organic farming will help improve the health conditions of family farming communities
Develop diversified farming and improve biodiversity in coconut farms
The long-term economic viability of diversified, organic small-scale family farm-to-market development will encourage more family farmers to transition to organic practices.
Organic farming livelihood, farmer and indigenous land stewardship will strengthen sustainability.
Support this project
We urgently need to raise $ 83,000 to make this project a reality, and are fundraising through the Global Giving platform.
We need to raise $5000 by 30 September 2021 in order to stay on the Global Giving platform.
