In his July 2025 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. again highlighted the importance of agriculture in the country’s development. He promised increased production, more budget for agricultural programs, better infrastructure, and safeguards against traders’ price manipulation. With urgency in his tone, he emphasized the need to modernize farming systems, expand access to markets, and raise the incomes of those who feed the nation. The President’s message was clear: agriculture must move from subsistence to sustainability, from tradition to transformation.

Yet amid national blueprints and billion-peso investments, one reality remains: no amount of machinery or subsidies will work without the empowerment of the people at the heart of agriculture — our farmers, fisherfolk, and rural entrepreneurs. To empower them effectively, we must invest in grassroots institutions that serve them best: cooperatives and community-based organizations.

These organizations are the unsung engines of agricultural productivity. They consolidate production, aggregate demand, lower costs, share risks, and connect smallholders to value chains and support services. A well-functioning cooperative can mean the difference between poverty and progress for a farming community. It can turn a lone farmer into a part of a collective force, one that has better bargaining power, financial access, and voice.

But many cooperatives remain fragile. Despite their potential, thousands of small coops struggle in isolation, unable to scale or sustain impact. The government and all development partners — including the business sector — must provide support to ensure that our agri-cooperatives and farmers/fishers’ organizations are not hampered by weak governance, outdated systems, limited professional management and inadequate access to technology, finance, and markets.

If we are serious about strengthening agriculture, we must strengthen cooperatives — not in isolation, but through partnerships that bring together government, business, and local communities.

One compelling model is the Makati Business Club’s (MBC) Adopt-A-Coop initiative. Launched through its Agricultural Productivity Committee, the program intends to enable private companies to “adopt” a cooperative towards providing sustained mentorship, training, and market access. From digital literacy and accounting systems to product development and logistics, the support will be tailored to what coops actually need.

These will not be mere donations or PR projects. These are long-term engagements, where business leaders treat farmers as partners and help build viable, self-reliant enterprises. It envisions adopted cooperatives gaining better access to supply chains, securing contracts with corporate buyers, or improving internal operations through digital tools introduced by their partners.

Through its Agricultural Productivity Committee, MBC also works on broader advocacy — calling for reforms that simplify regulations, incentivize agri-investment, and promote transparency in agri-related governance. The committee envisions bringing together experts, entrepreneurs, and farmer leaders to share insights and solutions that can help transform Philippine agriculture.

These efforts reflect a growing understanding: that inclusive agribusiness is not only possible — it is essential. And to make it work, we must nurture the organizations that serve as the bridge between small producers and the wider economy.

This is where more sectors can step in. Large corporations, universities, non-government organizations, and even local governments can contribute their expertise, networks, and resources. Schools of agriculture can offer training modules. Logistics companies can help optimize supply chains. Finance professionals can mentor coop managers on sustainability and investment readiness.

The opportunities for support are wide — and the potential returns, even wider. Supporting cooperatives means creating jobs, improving food security, enhancing rural incomes, and building resilience to climate shocks. It also builds trust and community ownership — factors that are essential in sustaining rural development.

And this support must be aligned with national programs. As the Department of Agriculture rolls out new projects and priorities under the SONA directives, there is a chance to integrate models like Adopt-A-Coop into its ecosystem, so that government resources are complemented by private-sector know-how and community leadership.

The future of Philippine agriculture does not rest on a single agency or institution. It depends on ecosystems — of support, innovation, and inclusion. It will take everyone: from policy makers to entrepreneurs, researchers to rural youth, to co-author a new chapter of productivity.

And at the center of it all must be the cooperatives and organizations that work closest with farmers, fishers, and rural entrepreneurs. Their strength is our strength. Their growth is our growth.

We must make farming a dignified and profitable livelihood again. We can only do that if the people on the ground are organized, empowered, and equipped.

So let us move from promises to productivity. Let us recognize that every successful agricultural story begins with empowered communities. And let us support and develop programs that build real bridges between boardrooms and barangays, between capital and countryside.

In doing so, we honor the spirit of bayanihan in the most tangible way: by helping farmers, fishers and rural entrepreneurs not just survive, but thrive —together.

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“If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have a chance to go right.” – M.S. Swaminathan