The woman paving the way for a sustainable agricultural system in the Philippines
In the What Matters To Me series, a Generation T honouree describes what they do, why they do it, and why it matters
Cherrie Atilano has made it her life’s work to empower the farmers of the Philippines. Through her company Agrea and as a consultant to the country’s Department of Agrarian Reform, she endeavours to put farmers in charge of their own lives with inclusive, sustainable agricultural programmes. Here, she describes her work in her own words.
Agrea aims to develop the first One Island Economy in the Philippines that focuses on zero hunger, zero waste and zero insufficiency. We are modelling it on the island of Marinduque and are currently replicating it on Siargao. Our mission is to empower local farmers and utilise the resources of the island by implementing sustainable agricultural practices and creating inclusive agribusiness livelihood programmes.
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The company makes use of an island-wide development approach in forwarding sustainable agriculture, which is the most neglected sector in the Philippines. We work with public and private institutions, as well as civil society organisations present on the island. We also mobilise locals—particularly the youth—to be on the front line in making their future brighter.
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