Technology has linked the divide
between manufacturers, food producers and consumers by mere clicks of a button.
The quick expanding economics of delivery has made it possible for consumers to
purchase goods expediently—a convenience highlighted more during this pandemic.
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| Nanay Teresa and her fellow turmeric tea farmers |
However, as much as technology is
making life easier for everyone involved in this clockwork consumer process,
there is a sector that is being overlooked—the local producers. These are the
farmers that don’t have access to technology due to a number of factors such as:
remote localities, lack of internet connection and simply put, they just don’t
have a supply chain that links them directly to consumers. To do so, they need
to rely on traditional middle-men traders who—tactlessly—pockets more profit than
them.
Fortunately, a few social-enterprising
individuals came with the idea of putting up The Local Goodness. This social enterprise connects local farmers
to consumers directly by bypassing the unnecessary obstacles hampering local
traders and using social media and organic word-of-mouth to advertise their
food produce.
The Idea behind the Local Goodness
Anne Marie Cunanan, who a few
years ago founded Meaningful Travels PH—a social enterprise specializing in
combining adventure travels with immersive cultural experiences and giving back
activities—came up with the idea for the Local Goodness to follow the same mission
of Meaningful Travels PH.
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| The Local Goodness PH founder: Social Entrepreneur Ann Marie Cunanan |
This is to build inclusive
economies by doing business with micro and small businesses especially in the
rural communities.
“The idea for The Local Goodness
was a bi-product from our travels with Meaningful Travels PH. In our
explorations to rural communities, we met farmers who serve us their coffee and
ginger teas, freshly harvested from their farms in the highlands” Cunanan says.
Since that encounter, Meaningful
Travels PH started patronizing local products as part of their tour agenda. Later,
Cunanan realized that helping the local communities market their own farm
produce necessitates a separate platform—thus the birth of the Local Goodness.
When asked about the feedback
from the community, Cunanan adds “they were very happy, and they get excited
every time we make an order. About the feedback from the consumers, we found
out that a lot of people really wanted to support local farm produce. I was
happy that even companies are purchasing from us apart from individuals”.
The Turmeric Farm in Bantey, Mountain Province
One such Local Goodness success
story can be found in the highlands of the Mountain Province. It may come as a
surprise to most, that in the remote barangay of Bantey in the municipality of
Tadian, a small group of mothers have been planting and harvesting turmeric and
ginger for several years now.
One of the mothers, Teresa
Farnican told us that they learned about turmeric and ginger farming from a
seminar conducted by DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) in their
barangay. After years of doing so, they found the farming process of
planting-harvesting-selling as low-income generating because they only rely on
selling their harvests within their community.
"Before, we would sell our
turmeric and ginger harvest house to house in our community. It was hard that we
would always stop after a year and would plant again only if there is another
demand—which was always in small quantities" Nanay Theresa told us over a
phone interview in Tagalog.
That changed when the Local
Goodness contacted them and built a relationship with the community by offering
to market their turmeric and ginger produce.
"Today, after the Local
Goodness started taking orders for us, it motivated us to keep planting
turmeric and ginger. Turmeric farming isn't easy because it takes almost a year
to cultivate it. With the help of the Local Goodness, we cannot stop now"
Farnican adds.
Since hooking up with the Local
Goodness early this year, the community has already shipped more than 100 kilos
of turmeric and ginger tea to consumers in Metro Manila.
"Mam Anne has already made
three orders from us. Now, we just sent our produce to Bontoc, and they (The
Local Goodness) will take care of everything to market it. No more going house
to house for us. We will just plant and harvest" Nanay Teresa adds.
Indeed, after many years of
sowing the seeds in their community, nanay Teresa and her fellow farmers are
finally reaping the fruits of their labor. No more going house-to-house as
their local goodness is reaching more consumers.
As of this writing, the Local
Goodness PH is selling these local produce: Turmeric- Ginger Tea and Fresh
Turmeric Roots from Tadian, Mountain Province, Arabica and Medium Roast Coffee
from Trinidad, Benguet, Robusta and Dark Roast Coffee from Kalinga Apayao,
Fresh Lemons from Benguet and Palapa from Marawi.
