Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura

In many parts of Mindanao, women carry the weight of both farm and home—tending cacao trees while managing childcare, cooking, and daily household responsibilities. Yet despite their vital role, they are too often seen as “helpers,” not decision-makers.

Limited access to resources, control over income, and leadership opportunities continues to hold women back. For older and Indigenous women, these challenges are even greater, with limited access to technology, information, and training updates.

These are not just personal struggles—they are social barriers that directly affect cacao farmers’ productivity and income in Mindanao.

When women are excluded, the entire value chain is weakened. But when they are recognized, included, and empowered, farms become more productive, incomes improve, and communities grow stronger and more resilient.

It’s time to break these barriers and uplift the women behind cacao.

📣 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀!

The Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) Project is now calling for applications for Local Business Service Providers (BSPs) to support:

- CRFS Promotion
- Cacao Enterprise-Based Entrepreneurship (EBE)
- Canada Trade E-commerce Initiatives

Be part of empowering local enterprises, strengthening sustainable agriculture, and connecting communities to wider market opportunities.

📱 Scan the QR code or click this link to apply ➡️ https://meda.bamboohr.com/careers/589

Auro Chocolate is proving that Philippine cacao can thrive globally while uplifting the communities behind it. By building transparent and inclusive value chains, supporting fair wages, empowering women, and practicing sustainable farming, they show that growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of people or the planet.

This is what it looks like when environmental stewardship, farmer empowerment, and gender inclusion come together—creating cacao that’s not just world-class, but purpose-driven.

Project Living Income Awardee Ruth Lorenzana, a partner farmer of Auro Chocolate, continues to inspire communities through her journey as both a farmer and a mother. Recognized with the Organic Cacao Practitioner Award, she has remained steadfast in her commitment to sustainable, chemical-free farming, proving that caring for the land is also a way of caring for future generations.

For Ruth, her cacao farm is more than a source of income. It is a legacy in the making. Through careful planning and a strong vision for succession, she is ensuring that the values of hard work, sustainability, and love for the land are passed on. As a mother, she cultivates not only cacao, but also purpose and resilience within her family.

This Mother’s Day, her story reminds us that motherhood sustains families, nurtures communities, and shapes the future. We honor all mothers whose strength, care, and dedication continue to uplift and inspire generations.

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆! 💚

Ang mga sumsunod kay ang importansya sa regenerative farming:

💚 Pagpauswag sa Kahimsog sa Yuta
💚 Pagpalambo sa Saribuhay
💚 Pagpakunhod sa Epekto sa Climate Change
💚 Pagpauswag sa Kalidad sa Tubig
💚 Pagpataas sa Resilience sa Pananom
💚 Pagpauswag sa Kita sa mga Magsasaka

Naka try na ba ka sa paghimo sa regenerative farming? Kung wala pa, sugdi na karon!

Gipakita sa 𝗖𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 (CRFS) sa Davao Region Trial Farms ang mga maayong pamaagi sa pag-atiman sa cacao para mapadayon ang kahimsog sa yuta, kalig-on sa kahoy, ug taas nga ani.

Mao ni ang 6 ka cultural management practices:
✔ mulching
✔ pag-apply og mycorrhizal fungi
✔ paglimpyo sa base sa tanom
✔ pagmentinar sa kahitas-on
✔ pruning sa cacao trees
✔ pagtangtang sa crisscrossing, inward-growing, diseased, ug patay nga sanga

💚 Tumong: mas himsog nga cacao farms, mas lig-on nga kinabuhi sa mag-uuma.

The Davos theme, “A Spirit of Dialogue,” reminds us that dialogue builds trust—and trust drives sustainable growth, responsible innovation, and resilience.

Davao’s cacao sector shows this in action: from village-level labs and women-led biochar production to inclusive cooperatives and citizen science linking biodiversity with farm productivity.

These efforts work because they are rooted in real needs—fair wages, safety, inclusion, and opportunity—while embedding transparent, regenerative, and responsible practices in everyday business.

When global commitments are translated into local action, trust grows not just in policy spaces, but across farms, enterprises, and communities.

Read blog here: https://www.meda.org/news/blog/what-davaos-cacao-sector-shows-about-rebuilding-trust-and-driving-growth/

Tanan ta nakasinati anang init kaayo nga panahon na muabot sa punto nga ma dry na ang yuta unya dugay pa gyud paabuton ang ulan. Karon, nga ga hinay-hinay na ug balik ang ulan, timan-i ni na mga 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗖𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:

✅ Rainwater harvesting
✅ Water impounding
✅ Drip irrigation

Pamaagi ani, masiguro nato nga adunay igo ug padayon nga suplay sa tubig bisan pa sa panahon sa hulaw. Mas lig-on nga tanom, mas maayong ani, ug mas sustenableng kaugmaon para sa atong cacao farmers.

Kamo, unsa inyong ginabuhat aron makatipid ug tubig sa inyong uma? Share ninyo sa comments! 👇

The Abundant Harvest Agri-Tourism Tour in Davao, launched on April 17, 2026, offers a unique farm-to-table journey through the city’s rich produce—from cacao and fresh durian to local wines and goat milk cheese.

The tour includes six stops: Gran Verde Family Farm, Belviz Farms, Hacienda Torrentira, DAVECO Women Enterprise, Taglucop Estate Vineyard & Winery, and Malagos Farmhouse Cheeses, where guests can taste, learn, and explore.

Featured in this post is Wit Holganza, CEO of Lilamaya Inc. and a client of MEDA’s RIISA Project.

LOOK. Davao's Abundant Harvest Agri-tourism Tour tour kicks off on April 17, 2026, bringing in a unique farm-to-table experience for participants to explore the city's rich products of cacao, fresh harvested durian and jackfruit, grapes for wines, and cheese from goat milk.

The tour stops at six different locations where guests get to taste test the local produce, foster appreciation and meaningful insights, as well as learn the history of the farms and establishments.

The sites are Gran Verde Family Farm, Belviz Farms, Hacienda Torrentira, DAVECO Women Enterprise, Taglucop Estate Vineyard & Winery, and finally Malagos Farmhouse Cheeses.

Abundant Harvest is one the City Tourism Operations Office's new tourism circuits to enhance local experience and give visitors the opportunity to visit known landmarks in Davao City.

📷GIO TANUDTANUD

This 𝗟𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆, we recognize the hard work and resilience of our cacao farmers. 🌱

In Mindanao, which produces 80% of the country’s cacao, smallholder farmers continue to grow the sector. With more opportunities for investment, skills development, and support for women-led farms, SMEs, and cooperatives, the industry is steadily moving forward.

Thank you for your dedication. Your work supports communities, strengthens Philippine agriculture, and helps bring our local cacao to the global stage.