One of the project’s strategies in inclusive coffee value chain was to conduct a Gender and Development (GAD) training for the key officers of the Coffee Farmers Association of Hinalaan (COFAH) and Nuling Coffee Growers Association (NCGA) in Sultan Kudarat. This laddered training (4 Modules) was designed to develop a shared understanding on GAD concepts and provide the participants the basic skills to formulate a gender-responsive and socially inclusive organizational vision, mission, goals, and plans. The IVC Philippines partnered with the Office of Gender and Development (UPMin GAD) and Office of Anti-sexual Harassment (OASH) for this activity to provide an opportunity for the 2 offices to continue with their advocacies beyond the university premises. 

The Module 1 and 2 were conducted on April 1-2, 2025, attended by 9 males and 7 females. Meanwhile, Module 3 and 4 were done on April 23-24, 2025, with 6 male and 8 female participants. The venue was in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat. 

The Resource Person was Dr. Mary Fe Arquiza, an independent consultant. The main organizer was the IVC Philippines project, composed of Dr. Marilou Montiflor and Mr. Dave Laurence Dela Cruz. They were ably assisted by co-organizers/training support staff from the UPMin GAD (Ms. Schera Guillena) and OASH (Ms. Analiza Macias).

The main outputs were COFAH and NCGA's GAD Gender-responsive Vision Mission, Goals, and Plans.

It is part of the University of the Philippines Mindanao - School of Management (UPMin-SOM) activities for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)-funded project on Agribusiness-led Inclusive Value Chain Development for Smallholder Farming Systems in the Philippines (IVC Philippines). This video provides a summary of the coffee case study (MOMontiflor).

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For 5 days (including travel time), 25 (11 males, 12 females) coffee farmers travelled from Lebak and Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat. They were joined by a female and a male municipal agriculturist office representative. This is the culminating activity of the Organizational Strengthening training co-designed by the coffee stakeholders and project team.

On March 24, 2025, they left their areas to embark on a 9-hour travel to Davao City.

On March 25, there were several coffee processors which also owned cafes that the farmers visited. First was the Library Cafe by Coop-Cups. This cafe, located in the Davao City Library, is owned and operated by the MAGSIGE Multi-purpose Cooperative. After listening to the orientation from MAGSIGE, the farmers had the chance to have coffee tasting. The second stop was in Curve Cafe, owned by Equilibrium Intertrade. The resource person showed the company's training area, cafe, and its products. The third stop was in Paramount Coffee. The farmers were able to listen to the different quality specifications of the processors/coffeeshops and had another opportunity for coffee-tasting.

On March 26, they were able to have the chance to individually order in a popular coffee chain. After this, two buyers were invited to share their experiences with farmer groups, quality specifications and possible market. The two farm group groups had representatives who were able to share their business plan to the buyers and to the project team.

On March 27, after a brief photo opportunity in University of the Philippines Mindanao, the farmers proceeded to the main office of MAGSIGE. They were exposed to the facilities that were accessed by the cooperative through grants. In the afternoon was the closing program, attended not only by the UP Mindanao team, but also other team members from CSIRO, UP Los Baños, University of New England, and Foodlink Advocacy Cooperative.

On March 28, they travelled back to Sultan Kudarat (MOMontiflor). 

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The agribusiness-led inclusive value chain project (IVC Philippines) team members and partner farmers visited UP Mindanao on March 27, 2025. Despite engaging with the IVC Philippines since 2022, it was the first time for the partner farmers and Municipal Agriculturist Office representative from Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat to enter the university. They were in Davao City for a 3-day exposure Trip (March 25-27) as part of their Organizational Strengthening Training. The seven-module training started in July 2024 in Sultan Kudarat. More details are in the UP Mindanao news (MOMontiflor).

The agribusiness-led inclusive value chain project (IVC Philippines) team members and partner farmers visited UP Mindanao on March 27, 2025. Despite engaging with the IVC Philippines since 2022, it was the first time for the partner farmers and Municipal Agriculturist Office representative from Lebak and Kalamansig in Sultan Kudarat to enter the university. They were in Davao City for a 3-day exposure Trip (March 25-27) as part of their Organizational Strengthening Training. The seven-module training started in July 2024 in Sultan Kudarat. More details are in the UP Mindanao news (MOMontiflor).

Eleven participants, including project team members, attended a 2-day policy briefing writeshop in Davao City on January 24-25, 2025. The aim of the training was to enhance IVC Philippines researchers' knowledge and skills in translating research results in popular materials that can influence policy agendas and directions. The Resource Speakers are Karen S. Janiya, University Researcher II, and Dhanicca Amor M. Domingo, University Researcher I Center for Strategic Planning and Policy Studies, College of Public Affairs and Development, University of the Philippines Los Baños (MOMontiflor). 

Researcher Dave Laurence de la Cruz, IVC Philippines Research Associate, in his study titled, “Can a Sultan Kudarat farmer afford a Spanish Latte?” concluded that farmers cannot afford this special coffee mix that is made from their produce and sold in upscale cafes. In Lebak and Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat, de la Cruz discovered that coffee farmers’ gross income from coffee bean production, ranging from P22,000 to P47,000 annually, is insufficient for their expenses, requiring the farmers to seek additional income such as from other crops or from employment. He presented it during the 17th UP Mindanao Supply Chain Management Forum on March 20, 2024.

The forum, hosted by the DOST-PCAARRD-funded Agri-Aqua Value Chain Laboratory, was part of UP Mindanao’s 29th anniversary celebration. The UPMin supply chain research addresses the Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Quality Education, Decent Work and Economic Growth, among other goals. Details about the presentations are in the External link (MOMontiflor). 

Researcher and IVC Coffee Case Study Lead Marilou Montiflor presented the paper co-authored with Dave Laurence Dela Cruz on "It’s All in the Family: Exploring the Social Connections of Sultan Kudarat Coffee Traders". This was during the Mindanao Symposium on the Future of Agrifood Systems on November 16, 2023 at the Acacia Hotel, Davao City.

Distribution is one of the main components of the agrifood system and the main actors are the traders. They provide links from production to processing until the consumption. In two municipalities (Lebak and Kalamansig) in Sultan Kudarat, it was observed that the significant coffee traders have social connections. Aside from coffee trading, they participated not only in buying and selling of agricultural crops but also in other businesses such as operating general merchandise ang agricultural supply stores.  Furthermore, when a trader retired, another member (male or female) of the family took over. Coffee trading remained to be a livelihood of their households. The traders encouraged their family members to engage in the same work 

Details about the symposium can be found in the External link (MOMontiflor). 

In celebration of the 28th University of the Philippines Mindanao Anniversary, the School of Management organized the 16th UP Mindanao Supply Chain Management Forum with the theme "Agribusiness-led Inclusive Value Chain Development for Smallholder Farming Systems in the Philippines". It was on March 17, 2023, 8:30 AM to 12 Noon via Zoom. The speakers were from the Australian Centre for International Research (ACIAR) funded project AGB 2018 196 https://www.aciar.gov.au/project/agb-2018-196. The Resource Speakers presented the general introduction of the project framework and methodologies. They also presented initial results of the rapid marketing assessment and farm systems analysis (MOMontiflor). 

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