Empowering farmers, cultivating change SM Foundation welcomes farmer-graduates
The SM Foundation continues to work towards achieving its vision of a future where farmers are empowered, able to share knowledge with the community, and collectively work towards elevating the entire industry through agriculture.
As a testament to this, several farmers from Pampanga, Tarlac, Camarines Sur, and Albay completed SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) on Sustainable Agriculture Program.
Through KSK program farmers first underwent hands-on lectures, spanning from modern farming methods to marketing and business principles to arm them with updated agricultural knowledge and skills. Capping weeks of learning sessions, the farmers held harvest festivals in their demo farms and joined market tours with SM Markets to explore selling opportunities.
Since 2007, the program has benefited over 28,000 marginalized farmers with some graduates becoming seasonal suppliers for the SM group and local markets.
SM Foundation’s KSK-SAP is conducted in partnership with SM Supermalls, SM Markets, TESDA, DA, DSWD, DOST, DTI, and partner farm schools.
Some of the farmers from Legazpi, Albay proudly show the fruits of their labor during the Harvest Festival.
KSK farmer beneficiaries from Pampanga cap weeks-long training through a harvest festival, followed by a market tour and graduation ceremony.
