Department of Agriculture and MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy: Promoting Urban Gardening and Healthy Diets for Filipinos

Manila, Philippines, August 1, 2023 – The Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) and Nestlé Philippines, through the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy, have joined hands in a partnership aimed at promoting urban gardening and providing affordable and healthy diets for the Filipino population.

DA-BPI and MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy Partnership

Empowering Communities through Urban Agriculture

The three-year collaboration, as outlined in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed earlier this year, will enable DA-BPI and MAGGI to jointly conduct skills-building activities that demonstrate sustainable methods of growing vegetables in homes, schools, and other under-utilized urban spaces. The initiative aims to empower families to create nutritious and balanced meals using homegrown produce.

Director Glenn Panganiban of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Plant Industry stated, “Everyone plays a crucial role in food security, and by working together, we can ensure that Filipinos always have FAITH – Food Always in The Home. Through this partnership, we can teach more Filipinos how to grow their own food with proper mentoring and support from the government and private partners like MAGGI.”

Community Engagement and Culinary Workshops

MAGGI will be responsible for developing community engagement programs, including on-ground and online workshops led by expert agriculturists from DA-BPI. These workshops will teach science-based methods of vegetable crop production in limited spaces. The MAGGI culinary team will also guide participants on how to prepare Sarap Sustansya dishes using their homegrown vegetables, ensuring they are delicious, nutritious, and budget-friendly, following the Pinggang Pinoy food plate model.

Uy expressed their belief in a collaborative approach to building communities, stating, “We are proud to stand alongside the Department of Agriculture in inspiring a farm-to-fork movement among Filipino families and communities. Food security is crucial to everyone’s health, and ensuring healthy food accessibility is essential for a strong nation.”

Empowering Filipino Communities

Under the agreement, MAGGI will produce and distribute learning materials on vegetable production and affordable plant-based recipes, along with starter kits containing essential planting tools and vegetable seeds produced by DA-BPI.

A significant aspect of the partnership involves relocating the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Garden to the DA-BPI center of excellence in Los Baños. The garden will serve as a demo farm and learning facility to share best practices in vegetable production, particularly for individuals and communities interested in generating income through growing and selling produce. The possibility of replicating the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya garden in the different satellite offices of the DA-BPI nationwide is being explored, providing venues for gardening, agripreneurship, and cooking workshops for surrounding communities.

Milestones for the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy in 2023:

Nestlé Kasambuhay for Good Festival

The 2023 MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Advocacy began in July, coinciding with Nutrition Month. Various initiatives under the advocacy emphasized the theme “Healthy Diet Gawing Affordable for All” (“Make a healthy diet affordable for all”) The advocacy commenced with the Nestlé Kasambuhay for Good Festival at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, featuring an urban gardening lecture by DA-BPI and a live cooking demo by MAGGI.

Sarap Sustansya Farm School Program

The Sarap Sustansya Farm School Program was launched in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6, benefiting over 3,000 young farmer students. MAGGI conducted workshops on Sarap Sustansya cooking, regenerative farming, and entrepreneurship in food service or agricultural enterprise for principals and coordinators from DepEd Western Visayas Farm Schools. Teaching materials and essential farming tools were provided to assist faculty and students in propagating their school farms and vegetable gardens. The program culminated in a region-wide competition, testing the students’ newly-acquired crop production, culinary, and business skills.

MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Kusinaskwela Cook Off

DepEd also prepared for the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya Kusinaskwela Cook Off in partnership with Nestlé Wellness Campus. Over 1,000 public elementary schools and junior high schools in seven key regions will compete in a cooking contest promoting the value of minimizing food waste and budgeting while preparing delicious and balanced meals. The Cook-Off will also highlight vegetables from the schools’ Gulayan sa Paaralan initiative.

A Commitment to Urban Gardening and Affordable Healthy Diets

Rosalyn Simba, Business Executive Officer – Food and Dairy Culinary Business Unit at Nestlé Philippines, emphasized that the MAGGI Sarap Sustansya advocacy is a long-term commitment to bring the brand’s purpose to life, helping Filipinos benefit from fresh and nutritious food every day. The advocacy has also expanded to raise awareness of sustainable agriculture and food production among the youth, presenting it as a potential business opportunity in the future.

MAGGI is committed to continued cooperation with the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) and the National Dieticians’ Association of the Philippines (NDAP), sharing data resources on prevailing nutrient deficiencies in the Philippines and working together to enhance the fortification of MAGGI products.