The Champion and ARBO Mentor for Productivity (ChAMPs) of the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc.’s Responsible Sourcing from Smallholders (SIFI-RSS) has grown to 42 members – 20 new this year – from 18 agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) and 3 planters’ associations.
With the year-long capacity building activities and community-based mentoring, the ChAMPs have strengthened and continuously built their skills to further disseminate best practices on regenerative agriculture and responsible farming.
This year, the ChAMPs form a core group with 11 members, effectively performing their roles and becoming RSS extension partners. As mentors, the ChaMPs provide on-site, real-time technical guidance to fellow ARBO farmer-members.
From their recent training on regenerative agriculture farm tool, the CHAMP Core Group will be assisting farmers from ARBO expansion. In this set-up, the core group will be in-charge of developing farm calendar and computing fertilizer recommendation. The core group will answer challenges on sustainability and manpower pool due to the rapid regenerative expansion among partner ARBOs.
Echo sessions on the C.A.S.H. and PAGSIK Programs were also rolled out by the ChAMPs in 8 ARBOs and 3 planters’ associations. The sessions demonstrated the ChAMPs’ competence in the delivery of key messages to their community.
With this initiative, farmer communities will be empowered in accessing updated implements and approaches to regenerative agriculture and responsible farming.
