The challenge and the struggle is real. This is me as a farmer talking, as we continue to prep our land for planting following natural, organic farming processes. My greatest challenge to date has been sourcing non-GMO and heirloom seed varieties. And it has not been easy even amongst our Slow Food community friends. This is my partner Carlos, focused on integrating a natural ecosystem for his fish and crayfish ponds with the most minimal environmental impact in the rainforest. With no synthetic chemicals! This is us, with our hats on as coffee farmers, too, watching the eco-system of soil, water and weather, all contributing to the sustainability of what we are coaxing to grow. A percentage has not survived with the lack of water and dryness of soil, even in a rainforest area.

I think of our struggles and think of the challenges faced by small farmers, who because of sheer necessity to survive choose to grow hybrid commercial cash crops and lose out on planting the truly endemic and rare native crops. Or who make almost nothing because of the exploitation of middlemen who are their only way to reach markets. Government and policy gaps show the lack of support for small and, yes, indigenous farmers to scale up production, the hyper strict food safety regulations designed for big agribusiness also make it so hard to sell to restaurants; and we see the alarming speed at which farm lands are converted to subdivision and commercial use, shrinking the supply of native crops.

We unexpectedly met up with a “book-end” of the food supply chain we are part of. There, too, the challenge and the struggle is real. We chatted up chef Jayjay Sycip at our favorite casual Slow Food restaurant in Tagaytay. This is “The Fatted Calf” Farm House Kitchen where earth and table meet! Popping out to say hello was Slow Food Cavite lead chef Rhea Sycip (Happy Birthday!).

As chefs, they struggle to keep their F & B business running, sourcing for seasonal and heritage ingredients, and fight to keep costs down as food prices increase. They are not alone. I have heard this, too, from many in the F&B industry. With the recent labor wage increase, we wonder how we as entrepreneurs and businesses will manage the economics of all the rising costs. But chatting up was not just about the menu and the wonderful meal we were burping away, as Chef Jayjay toured us to show his composting system, and discussed Chef-Farmer directions they continue to do.