Opelia Tadena and generations of her family have been tilling rice in the Philippines for decades. Though modern techniques have helped many farms around the world become more productive and resilient to climate change, farmers like the Tadenas—who live off five hectares in the province of Bohol—are so focused on subsistence that their methods have hardly changed over time.
The lack of progress puts their livelihood at risk. “We suffer losses because of pests and natural calamities. It drives me to tears sometimes,” Tadena says.
Like the Tadenas, many other farmers from the poorest areas of the Philippines also face declining productivity, are vulnerable to extreme weather events and infestations, and have limited access to financing. Most of them farm without a clear business plan in place.
IFC and Bayer CropScience, a leading agricultural company, have created a program to train these farmers in business and financial management, and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) . The initiative, supported by the government of Canada, has trained more than 40,000 farmers (almost half of whom are women) in 40 provinces across the Philippines since it started in 2014. Bayer CropScience is replicating the program to benefit farmers across East Asia and the Pacific, Africa, and also in India.
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