“The term local economy refers to a market and networking system that is part of a specific community. For example, a typical local economy may have residents within the community who purchase their meat from the local butcher who in turn buys his meat from the local slaughterhouse. A circular economy prevails which benefits residents, local businesses and the environment,” this is how Charles El-Zeind from Sustainable Business Toolkit eloquently defined what a local market is. 

On the other hand, the farm to table movement can be defined as a social movement where restaurants source their ingredients from local farms, usually through a direct requisition from the farmer.  The two can be intertwined through the movement’s huge impact on how a local economy is shaped. To make it simpler, we have rounded up a list to know more about the movement’s impact:

Accessing the market through linking together. The Farm to table movement is leading more consumers to demand locally sourced products. Due to this, communities are now working together to establish the infrastructure needed to support a local system, and farmers must listen to and work with distributors, consumers and each other. This initiative boosts the local economy and supports local farmers. Because farm to table restaurants deal directly with the farmer, you can be sure that the money spent is going directly to helping farmers grow their businesses and fuel the local economy.

Both the restaurant and farmer benefit from farm to table. The restaurant gets delicious and fresh produce, and the farmer gets recognition for their hard work as well as guaranteed business. Additionally, farm to table restaurants and businesses like the Malagos Homegrown Produce have a close relationship with farmers and can usually request that they plant certain foods. With this, you can be rest assured that the produce you are buying are fresh and homegrown. 

Distribution and aggregation. There are many ways for farmers to get their products to local consumers. Farmers choose their outlets depending on what they grow, their location, and time and labor available. Some distribution channels include the aggregation of products from multiple farms, which provides the volume and consistency needed to reach larger markets. The organization of cooperatives, farm to school retail, and farmers market were coined due to this movement. 

Food safety and processing. From farm to table, there are many points at which food can become unsafe for consumption. That is why farmers follow strict handling practices, as do those in charge of food processing, transportation, storage and delivery. Just like business management and marketing, even basic food safety benefits from having a strong plan in place so that everyone working on the farm is familiar with the required procedures. 

All these rings true especially to us in the Malagos Garden Resort, a Davao Local Resort, that has always been flagshipping activities and programs to support local farmers and local initiatives in the City. The benefits of supporting local farmers are endless and rewarding. Known as one of the best resorts in Davao, Malagos Garden Resort stays true in our call to always support local and use the farm to table movement to give credit to hard working farmers who give us fresh, homegrown produce everyday.