The chairman and president of the Tan Yan Kee Foundation Inc. (TYKFI), Dr. Lucio Tan, is pushing for a stronger agricultural production program in line with the government’s goal of boosting food security and livelihood amidst growing global concern over poverty and food scarcity.
The Foundation did many things. They helped the farmers sell their produce to the market, to create their houses, make their children go to school, improve living lifestyle and circumstances, gave livelihoods and jobs, and gave opportunity to widen the agriculture sector in collaboration with the government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
There are three distribution outlets for the produce, depending on the volume of the TYKFI farm harvests: local market or the nearby public markets, corporate buyers who buy in bulk and individual employees from companies owned by Dr. Tan.
TYK farms serve as a sustainable source of livelihood for poor farmers and indigenous peoples in the communities served by the Foundation.
Meanwhile, the Foundation’s model farm in Nueva Ecija has been a frequent host to many local and international institutions from Asia and the United States that wish to observe the development and success of its agro-forestry projects.
Most recent visitors included agriculture and environmental protection experts from the government of Bhutan, the University of Tokyo and the University of California-Davis, which ranks number one in the world in terms of programs in plant science and agriculture.
Last year, the Foundation also received international recognition when World CSR conferred on TYKFI the 2019 NGO Leadership Award in Mumbai, India for its sustainable social responsibility programs, particularly its agro-forestry activities through its flagship Dr. Lucio C. Tan Legacy Forest Project.
Source: philstar.com
Photo Sources: philstar.com, tanyankee.org
