MANILA, PHILIPPINES — This July 23, a hydroponic farm will be unveiled by the three organizations that brought it to life: top property developer Megaworld Corporation, innovative agricultural enterprise Farm Top, and food bank Rise Against Hunger Philippines (RAHP). Called the Good Food Farm McKinley after RAHP’s branded urban farms, or GFF McKinley for short, it sits on approximately 400 square meters of untenable land, lent for the project by Megaworld. RAHP, for its part, provided the funding for the greenhouse structure, which includes installation of the footing and foundation, nets for shading and garden walling, UV plastic roofing, the grow table frames, and the water, electrical, and storage systems, among other requirements.
Meanwhile, Farm Top manages the farm’s day-to-day operations and marketsthe harvests to nearby commercial buyers and residents. According to Farm Top’s President and CEO Danny Dy, romaine and green ice lettuce have already been planted, with the first harvest (happening from July 15 to 20) projected to yield up to 200 kgs.
The project is an important undertaking for all the stakeholders involved, a sustainable model farm that contributes to a city’s economic, environmental, and social resilience. By using hydroponic technology – a soil-free farming method that uses less water and no artificial growing nutrients and pesticides – idle land is utilized to provide fresh, organic produce to nearby residents and communities in a distribution mode that minimizes carbon footprint.
Moreover, profit from the sale of the harvests will support RAHP’s nutrition programs in Brgy. Ususan, Taguig, and Tondo, Manila, with surplus produce supplementing the hot meals served in both program sites. The nutrition project is a cornerstone in RAHP’s programs, providing much-needed intervention among nutritionally at-risk individuals that including pregnant women, lactating mothers, school children, PWDs, and the elderly.
The farm will be open to the public to spread advocacy for the fight against hunger and mitigating food wastage. By banding together, Rise Against Hunger Philippines, Megaworld Corporation, and Farm Top are leading the way in the shift toward a sustainable food system and the goal of a holistically resilient city.
