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ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), together with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Trade Centre (ITC), with support from the European Union (EU), and the FAIR-VALUE project marked a significant milestone in their strides towards sustainable and inclusive agricultural development in the Bangsamoro. This innovation in the coffee value chain uses the Market System Development (MSD) approach where sustainable and equitable sharing of the value generated is achieved through active and transparent collaboration between key actors.
IOM, FAO and ITC successfully linked Sulu coffee farmers to a first buyer that help them produce better-quality coffee and earn a more stable income. Through their initiative, the farmers’ cooperatives signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Dennis Coffee Garden, a Mindanaoan enterprise that honours Tausug heritage through its signature brews – giving the farmers access to an important and growing actor of the coffee sector.
“This is where the European Union, together with our partners in the United Nations, helps farmers walk in the speed and direction they decide for their future. This event brings together farmers and market actors, in order to ensure that through more production and better quality standards they can also achieve higher and sustainable income for their communities and families. This is a success we hope to see replicated for a peaceful and prosperous Bangsamoro, Mindanao and Philippines,” said Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines.
“This collaboration is more than a supply contract – it is a story of mutual empowerment that places fairness, sustainability and local pride at the centre of business,” said Euan McDougall, IOM Philippines Head of Programmes. “I hope the initiative will help the farmers advance towards resilience and growth against climate and conflict challenges that continue to impact their lives,” he continued.
The MOU was signed under Fisherfolk’s Advancement and Integration to Resilient Value Chains in BARMM or FAIR-VALUE, a project jointly implemented by IOM, FAO and ITC, with funding from the EU. As one of the flagship efforts of the Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Program, the project aims to enhance the quality, diversity and market responsiveness of agri-fishery products in the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Farmers and fisherfolk receive training on sustainable farming practices, proper harvesting, post-harvest handling, food safety standards compliance, entrepreneurship and access to investment to address market’s needs. As producers continue to build capacity, this partnership is poised to unlock access to stable and fair markets – turning potential into opportunity.. This partnership aims to strengthen such an interlinked coffee value chain helping translate quality and standards into practices on the ground and for the benefit of all.
“The farmers are not only preserving our heritage – they are helping build the future of agri-enterprises in the Bangsamoro Region. Dennis Coffee Garden sees this value in heritage coffee and helps elevate it from the farm to the cafe, from the province to the national market. What we are witnessing is not just a signing of an understanding – it is the signing of trust, commitment and shared goals,” said Hamsur Zaid from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform and Bangsamoro Agri Enterprise Program Director.
“The signing is an opportunity for us to transform the coffee industry in Sulu. We now have the chance to strengthen the quality of our crops, raise income, incentivize all stakeholders and help sustain the peace we’re enjoying today,” said Kumala Elardo, a coffee farmer-entrepreneur and owner of Kumala Elardo Royal Coffee from Sulu.
“This is the first time a collaboration like this is happening and it signals a future for Sulu coffee and farmers. We want to build trust, promote fair trade and ensure there is always a market that values quality over volume. For us, it’s not about high profit – it’s about value creation and a product that reflects pride and purpose,” said Imelda Dagus, Founder of Dennis Coffee Garden, whose grandmother started brewing roots in Sulu as early as 1962.
The signing marks the first of what IOM, FAO, ITC and their partners hope will be many private sector engagements for coffee and other products that are designed to create inclusive value chains, reflect the realities of smallholder producers and support businesses that are equally committed to social impact.
The FAIR-VALUE Project, funded by the European Union under the Bangsamoro Agri-Enterprise Programme (BAEP), aims to improve the quality, diversity, and market responsiveness of local agricultural and sea-aqua production, while helping transform agri-fishery communities in the BARMM into catalysts for inclusive and sustainable development. The project is jointly implemented by IOM, FAO and ITC.
