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Sim-carrd in action
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Bread for the World approves two-year project Starting June 2007, Simcarrd will be implementing a two-year project funded by Bread for the World titled ““Sustainable Farming and Livelihood for Five Marginalized Provinces in Mindanao through SIAD Approaches” This proposal will be the second phase of an earlier project with Bread for the World and partly funded by Cordaid. The main objective of this project will be to establish effective access to and control over community assets and natural resources through sustainable farming and social enterprise development of marginalized farming communities in Mindanao.
MASA holds general assembly
The Movement for the Advancement of Sustainable Agriculture (MASA), an NGO-PO consortium promoting sustainable agriculture in the areas of Mindanao, Negros and Palawan recently held a general assembly from 30 May to 02 June 2007 at Ponce Suites, Bajada, Davao City. Composed of Bread for the World-supported organizations, MASA aims to mainstream SA at the farm level up to the regional level so small farmers can engage the market. MASA started out as a dialogue-forum of BftW partners starting in 2003. It evolved into a movement with some of its member organizations developing their own enterprises either as a village trading center (Palawan and Negros), market consolidator and integrator.
5th Street Café opened As part of its sustainability program, Simcarrd has opened up an organic store and neighborhood café serving Mindanao coffee blends and organic dishes. Located adjacent to its office, the café primarily caters to NGOs, students and office workers around the Ecoland-Matina vicinity. The café is ideal for small meetings and after-office relaxation with pipe in music ranging from rhythm and blues to bossa nova. It also has a wi-fi area for those who want to send last-minute emails and office instructions.“It’s a cozy nook for busy people to relax,” explained Blessy Badoy who acts as the business manager of the enterprise. Formal opening of the café would happen last week of June 2007 as last-minute touches are being put up.
Go Organic Mindanao coalition formed.
Nongovernment organizations, farmers groups and policy advocates in Mindanao have formed the Go Organic Mindanao coalition in response to continuing threats caused by expanding monocrop plantations, intensive promotion of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, and genetically-modified organisms (GMOs). “We want to put forward a viable and existing alternative to government’s promotion of agribusiness plantations and mining in Mindanao, “ explained Tom Villarin, one of the group’s convenors. “Despite the passage of Executive Order 481 creating a national organic agriculture board that sets policy directions for promoting organic agriculture, such mandate is not backed up by funds and institutional mobilization of line agencies involved in agriculture and industry,” declared Villarin who is the Mindanao representative to the recently formed National Organic Agriculture Board directly under the Office of the Secretary of Agriculture Arthur Yap.
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