After training almost 50,000 farmers to date, the SM Group vowed to continue investing in smallholder farmers not just to uplift their livelihoods but because they secure food supply chain in their communities.
Cristie Angeles, SM Foundation’s Assistant Vice President for Livelihood and Outreach Programs, said that groupwide they have trained a total of 49,000 farmers nationwide, including 32,359 farmers under the SM Foundation’s Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farming Program. The Philippine Geothermal Production Company and other SM companies also do their share in training smallholder farmers.
With no agriculture component in its wide business portfolio, the SM conglomerate is instead training smallholder farmers. The group’s initiative focuses on equipping smallholder farmers with practical, sustainable farming skills, empowering them to uplift their livelihoods and strengthen food security in their communities.
In 2025, the KSK program will expand to more rural communities, including underserved areas in Northern Mindanao, Bicol, and parts of Visayas, bringing opportunities closer to where they are most needed.
“We believe inclusive growth starts at the community level,” said Angeles. “By investing in smallholder farmers, we are not only helping secure local food supply chains but also creating pathways to improved quality of life in the rural sector.”
Through hands-on learning, KSK equips participants with practical backyard and small-scale farming techniques aimed at improving crop quality and productivity. More importantly, the program helps connect them to local markets and SM’s broader supplier network—fostering cooperative formation and enabling more stable, long-term income for farming families.
These efforts align with findings from the Asian Development Bank, which identify smallholder farmers as the backbone of food systems in developing nations, representing 84 percent of all farms and producing nearly a third of the world’s food. In the Philippines, where many are farming less than a hectare of land, access to knowledge, technology, and markets is critical.
To deepen market linkages, SM launched the SM Weekend Market, a platform that enables local farmers and agripreneurs to directly offer their produce in high traffic mall locations. The weekend market helps local farmers reach new customers, from everyday shoppers to mall employees and tenants.
SM’s commitment to community extends across its businesses. Through Philippine Geothermal Production Company (PGPC), SM supports urban agriculture initiatives in partnership with the Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems, promoting sustainable gardening and identifying farm sites for long-term use.
