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Dewey’s Sustainable Market: Supporting Local Farmers and Promoting Sustainable Food in Urban Areas
About the Photo
Pictures of our local farmers from La Union and Students in our Sustainable Market set up in Churchill, Quezon City.
Indulge in fresh and delicious produce locally sourced from farmers based in La Union! Our school has been working closely with local farmers to aid and support their businesses while promoting more sustainable farming practices. Through this initiative, we set up open and accessible marketplaces every Wednesday around Quezon City, offering a wide variety of fresh produce crops and homemade canned products to instill healthy eating within every home, especially those in urban areas.
Problems and Concerns
Due to the continuous fall in our economy, the rise in the country’s inflation rates, and the many setbacks caused by the spread of COVID-19, Filipino farmers struggle to get by with the little amount of money they make as they bear the brunt of these problems the most. One of the farmers we’ve worked with had expressed her concerns and told us that:
“In the province, we can hardly sell our crops for a high price. Our pay is estimated by the buyer, and when their business is not going well, they can’t help but pay the minimum price.”
Nora Difunturum – Farmer from La Union
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At the highest points of the pandemic, local farmers faced the worst effects of it all. As a farmer pointed out to us, “They are afraid to come out and be exposed at the market. The people are also anxious to buy from us. Therefore, there had been a surplus of crops and most of it was left to rot in the province due to failure in transporting it to Manila.” Farmers struggle to adapt and stay resilient because of social and economic constraints, leaving them to fend for themselves and end up with little or no return of investment in capital and hard labor.
The Philippines is also no stranger to dangerous typhoons brought by the ever relevant climate crisis. Typhoons cause significant damage to the farmers’ fields and even more so when multiple typhoons emerge consecutively. Farmers struggle to rebuild their fields, as strong winds and rain flatten their crops and destroy the land and infrastructure farmers plant on.
“With the help of the students, teachers, and other staff, our income for the first week was 70,000 pesos per week compared to our income before when we barely had enough to meet our daily needs. We were forced to be in debt in order to survive.”
Nora Difunturum – Farmer from La Union
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Creating an Initiative
According to Greenpeace, more than 2 billion small farmers produce 70% of the food we eat, so small farmers play a pivotal role in our food system. So, our school has strived to empower the agricultural sector and give farmers a better platform.
Because of what we have set out to do, the farmers with which we’ve collaborated have greatly benefited from this program. Furthermore, they’ve expressed their gratitude and told us that:
“With the help of the students, teachers, and other staff, our income for the first week was 70,000 pesos per week compared to our income before when we barely had enough to meet our daily needs. We were forced to be in debt in order to survive.”
It’s our goal as a school community to continue empowering those who are largely disadvantaged due to social and economic barriers, to come together and engage with different communities in making a difference, and to influence others to think with sustainability in mind.
by Georgina P. Ravelo
We are located at 10 April St., Congressional Avenue, Brgy. Bahay Toro, Project 8, Quezon City. If you are interested in buying, kindly click on the order form link and fill out the information needed.