Nurturing 'Agripreneurs' for a Food-Secure Philippines

ACEN SVP and Head of Corporate Communications and Sustainability Irene Maranan and SariSuki CEO and Co-founder Brian Cu sign the collaboration agreement for an innovative farm-to-market strategy, witnessed by ACEN Senior Associate for Sustainability Elly Felizarta, ACEN CFO and Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Back, SariSuki COO and Co-founder Philippe Lorenzo, Agritech Head Joselito Lontok, and Project Manager Julia Chiong.

Not only does this showcase responsible land use by combining agriculture and renewable energy, the initiative will also help alleviate the plight of local farmers in our host communities, providing them with access to modern farming tools, training, and infrastructure to reach broader markets and improve overall food security.

IRENE MARANAN
ACEN SVP and Head of Corporate
Communications and Sustainability

ACEN and SariSuki, the largest online community selling and buying platform for retail grocery, are introducing modern farm management practices to farmers to nurture the next generation of “agripreneurs" and help ensure local food security.

Through the Agro-Circularity in Renewable Energy (ACRE) program, ACEN and SariSuki will foster farming communities where ACEN operates by implementing an innovative farm-to-market strategy to increase yields by 50 percent and boost their market reach and profitability. Farmers will be trained in essential skills such as crop selection as well as basic business practices like costing and creating value-added products. The program also seeks to improve agricultural infrastructure for efficient access to end-consumers.

Under the partnership, ACEN will provide land, starting with its Ilocos Norte wind farms, for SariSuki to cultivate crops and engage farmers within ACEN’s host communities. SariSuki will implement a vertically integrated supply chain process to collaborate with farmers in effectively managing multiple stages of the production process from cultivation of crops to distribution and retail. ACRE has kicked off within ACEN’s Conservation Estate in Ilocos Norte and will soon be implemented in the company’s other solar and wind projects in the Philippines.

SariSuki is a portfolio company of the Ayala Corporation Technology Innovation Venture (ACTIVE) Fund managed by Globe's Kickstart Ventures.

Read the full story at ACEN | Leading the charge in the renewables revolution (acenrenewables.com)