Cotabato City, BARMM, Philippines October 3-4, 2023 – In celebration of the National Cooperative Month, Acted, in partnership with the Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority, (CSEA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) held 3ZERO: 1st Agri-Fishery Cooperatives’ Partners Forum at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, a gathering of passionate individuals with a shared vision to strengthen the cooperation towards sustainable and inclusive agriculture – a BARMM with Zero Exclusion, Zero Poverty and Zero Carbon.
This activity was implemented under the 24-month project focused on Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture in BARMM, with the support of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and in partnership with the French Embassy in the Philippines and Micronesia. This project aims to contribute to the rural development of the province of Maguindanao and the 63 barangays of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through a 24-month project designed to address three cross-cutting issues in the region: peace and stability, gender, and economic opportunities.
Under this program, Acted is supporting 20 women-led agricultural cooperatives in BARMM through three pillars: build their capacity for entrepreneurship and management, provide financial and other resources to support their operations, and work towards a sustainable and inclusive agricultural ecosystem in the region.
This momentous event brought together over 40 women-led cooperative salong with government and civil society organization partners committed to transforming into social enterprises, dedicated to achieving food security and sustainable growth guided by the principles of 3ZERO: Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty in BARMM.
High Level Discussions
The forum included insightful high-level discussions on bringing BARMM towards the 3ZERO objective and bridging cooperatives to markets with representatives from the business sector, cooperatives, and governments.
Recognition of Outstanding Cooperatives
On Day 1, 13 cooperatives in BARMM were also awarded plaques of recognition as outstanding cooperatives working towards sustainable and inclusive agriculture in BARMM.
Awarding of the Third and Last Tranche of the Grant under the Acted Project
The 20 cooperatives were also provided with the third and last tranche of the financial grant awarded as part of Acted’s Sustainable and Inclusive Agriculture project in BARMM supported by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and in partnership with the French Embassy in the Philippines. The French Embassy was represented at the event by Mr. Sylvain Lamourette, Attaché for Cooperation, and Ms. Ines Ferrer, Attaché for Science / NGO Correspondent.
Pop-up Market and Business Matching
Day 1 concluded with the ceremonial opening of a Pop-up market at the SKCC grounds, showcasing handicrafts and fresh farm produce from cooperatives supported by Acted, CSEA, MAFAR and UN WFP. Private sector and financial partners such as Airspeed, ABK Bookkeeping Services, Al-Amanah Islamic Bank, Cotabato Regional Medical Center, and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology also set up booths for cooperatives to avail their services
Capacity Building Sessions for Cooperatives
Day 2 was marked by a series of capacity-building sessions for cooperatives. The forum featured compelling speeches from key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the Cooperative and Social Enterprise Authority, (CSEA), as well as inspiring talks from civil society organizations, including 7-Hectares, Inclusive Humanitarian Center of Bigay Buhay Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and the Institute for Social Entrepreneurship in Asia. Topics discussed during the conference revolved around the Food Security Roadmap in BARMM, the pivotal role of cooperatives in fostering sustainability and inclusivity in agriculture and aquaculture.
The event provided an invaluable platform for networking and collaboration among change-makers who share a common vision and are actively working towards the same goal. Attendees had the opportunity to explore various programs offered by MAFAR, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Tourism, CSEA, Bayan Innovation Group, and financial institutions like Al-Amanah Islamic Bank.
Parallel sessions were instrumental in promoting learning and growth among the cooperatives themselves. These sessions deepened participants’ understanding of financial literacy, organizational development, and the importance of well-structured business frameworks. Moreover, cooperatives were encouraged to embrace computer literacy and digitization as essential tools for growth in the agri-fishery sector.
With high spirits, deep confidence, and soaring hopes, the collective vision of 3Zero is seen as the path to achieving zero poverty, zero exclusion and zero carbon in Bangsamoro.