WE ARE in the era of healthy foods but do we really know that the food we are eating is really healthy? Do we know their sources and what “organic” methods were employed for them to be categorized as such? A relaunched foundation, ANP-Fedi, can give us to these questions.
During the term of President Fidel Ramos in 1998, the ANP Foundation for Enterprise Development Inc. (ANP-Fedi), headed by Reena Peña, was established to help more than 150 enterprises nationwide. The program was to be replicated 20 depressed provinces.
ANP-Fedi’s mission was to promote and upgrade macro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through a wide range of trainings, consultations, and start-up programs in partnership with local government units, industry associations, external institutions and individual corporations.
Recently, ANP-Fedi was relaunched at the Business Inn Hotel to assist farmers in Negros Occidental fill the local requirement of fresh vegetables.
Its current acting executive director, Marivic Rio, said the association aims to aid farmers in increasing production of vegetables to 10 tons per week. About 60 to 75 percent of the fresh vegetables, or those produced through good agricultural practices (GAP) consumed locally are not grown in the province, but outsourced elsewhere. There is a huge market demand which farmers in the province could actually fill, Marivic adds.
She further says: “Local consumers including restaurants are getting products from outside sources, and we do not know how these vegetables were planted.” The ANP-Fedi’s mission is to ensure food safety as well as help them acquire higher income.
To date, there are about 30 GAP certified farmers assisted by ANP-Fedi. A German based organization, the Afos Foundation, has been actively promoting business skills development, food safety management, and agricultural and sectoral development. The foundation likewise, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, is aiding some 180 small farmers in San Carlos City.
In addition, the small farmers are assisted to become cluster groups initially to supply the feeding program of the agency.
The ANP-Fedi further endeavors to collate the volume of these farmers’ production and to equip them in catering to premium markets not merely as “bagsakan.”
Marivic says that by clustering farmers and providing trainings, they can eventually acquire GAP certification from the Department of Agriculture, and afford them linkages to potential and even bigger markets.
“Thus, we need to provide our farmers with standardized modules based on existing laws,” she added.
Among the training modules are: Food Safety Management Awareness, Good Manufacturing Practices, GMO and HACCP Assessment, Food Technology and Bakery, Meat Processing, Lean Manufacturing, GAP Orientation, ICS GAP Training.
Tose interested to diverse or to improve their production of their backyard industry, avail of the benefits offered by ANP-Fedi.