WATCH: Bukidnon farmers fight against hunger

MANILA, Philippines – Ever wondered where sugar came from?

Before it reaches your tongue, your spoonful of sugar was first handled by a pair of sweaty and sore hands belonging to a poor farmer.

In this special #HungerProject documentary, we zoom in on the life of a sugarcane farmer from Bukidnon – hailed as Northern Mindanao’s food basket.

Bukidnon is known as a “highland paradise” and Northern Mindanao’s “food basket.” It is among the country’s top producers of sugar, rice, corn, banana, coffee, pineapple, and other fruits and vegetables. 

Ironically, some of Bukidnon’s top food producers have themselves fallen off the food basket.

Many of them belong to the indigenous group, the Manobo, who are among the poorest groups in the country.

Their food security, livelihoods, and culture are threatened every day not only by a declining agriculture, but also by big plantations hungry for more and more land. – Rappler.com