Fresh Start Organics in Silay City is more than just a business. It’s a social enterprise helping hundreds of farmers in Negros Occidental with impacts on consumers’ health, fair trade and environmental conservation.
The organic movement in Negros Occidental started in the 1980s with players from the NGO sector. It gained a stronger support from the provincial governments of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental in 2005 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding of the governors Joseph Marañon and George Arnaiz to make Negros Island the Organic Food Bowl of Asia.
With her late grandfather as one of the supporters of the organic movement, I guess it’s no coincidence that Francine Marañon-Uy would herself be involved in organic agriculture. She and husband Ramon “Chin-Chin” Uy, Jr. started Fresh Start Organic farm in Silay City as a demo farm in 2005 in order to showcase the benefits of their organic fertilizer. Their efforts were met with criticisms since they were then competing with commercial fertilizers which cost P500 per bag while they were selling their organic fertilizer at P300 per bag. Then the cost of commercial fertilizer increased dramatically since it is dependent on the price of oil. That’s when they confirmed that they are in the right business. Why depend on foreign products when everything you need for farming is available locally?
Today, Fresh Start Organics farm in Silay City has been featured in many agriculture magazines since their farm can be considered a model. Their farm earns more per square meter than a regular sugarcane farm.
Fresh Start Upholds Fair Trade
One of the things I was glad I did was when I introduced an organization of small organic rice farmers I assist in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental to Fresh Start Organics. Fresh Start buys organic rice from various farmer organizations at a premium. They usually agree on a certain price with the farmers even before the rice are harvested. This way, the farmers already know how much they’re going to earn and that’s usually above the prevailing farm gate prices so the farmers earn more if they sell to Fresh Start than to conventional rice traders.
If the farmers lack capital for inputs, Fresh Start provides them with organic inputs and the payment would be in the form of products during harvest. This way, the farmers no longer need to borrow from loan sharks. They also assist the farmers gain more knowledge on organic agriculture through trainings.
Fresh Start Helps in Environmental Conservation
Fresh Start Organics source their coffee from small organic farmers from Sag-ang in La Castellana and Yubo in La Carlota nurtured by the rich volcanic soil of Mt. Kanlaon. Fresh Start Coffee naturally grows under the shade of dipterocarp trees and do not need chemicals to grow thus the biodiversity in the forest is protected. Each red coffee cherry is hand-picked to select the best quality. The Fresh Start coffee is available in Mt. Kanlaon Premium Blend (Arabica and Robusta) and Negrense Native Organic Coffee (Robusta). I prefer the Mr. Kanlaon Premium Blend because of its rich flavor and aroma.
Chin-Chin believes that as you nourish the soil, it will nourish the plants which in turn nourish the body. As the soil becomes healthier, you will need lesser and lesser inputs. The conventional method on the other hand, gives nutrients to the plants but destroys the natural nutrients and helpful organisms in the soil. As the soil nutrients diminish, more inorganic fertilizers and pesticides are needed.
Fresh Start Encourages Consumers to be Healthy, Inside-Out
Fresh Start Organics produce organic salad greens and herbs, fruits and vegetables, free range chickens and grass fed pigs. Salad greens are harvested, washed, packed in ziplocks and delivered fresh to supermarkets and restaurants.
Fresh Start also has a processed food line using organic and locally sourced ingredients. They have already reached Iloilo, Cebu and Manila market supplying their fresh produce and processed jams to the likes of Gaita Fores of Pepato.
To be healthy inside out, Fresh Start also has a line of personal and home care products. Their soaps are based in virgin coconut oil while their massage oil is based in virgin lemongrass oil produced in Negros Occidental. Their linen and room deodorizers are also based in lemongrass oil and are very affordable.
Fresh Start is Doing Good While Doing Well
I remember once asking Chin-Chin how their business is doing since their price is really competitive. He said they may not profit as much as they could have but it doesn’t matter as long as more small farmers benefit through Fresh Start Organics. He believes it’s an irony that it’s the farmers who work the most in the organic value chain but they remain poor. He wanted to change that and help the farmers earn more since they’re the ones responsible for putting food on our table.
No wonder Chin-Chin and Francine Uy were listed in the Town & Country magazine’s 101 People You Should Meet Right Now. Their commitment is admirable and their dedication to their advocacy is very contagious. Not all businesses have money as their bottom-line. Fresh Start Organics invested in our small farmers and more than profit, they are now slowly reaping their rewards in terms of healthier consumers, fair trade promotion and biodiversity conservation.
Fresh Start Organics products are available at the Fresh Start Organic and Natural Store at the Robinsons Central Citywalk and at Echostore branches.
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