June 21, 2021

 
Pilmico receives Europa Award for sustainable corn sourcing

Pilmico Foods Corporation has received the 2021 Europa Award for Sustainable Food and Nutrition, where its corn sourcing programme named "Project Silk" was recognised, Manila Bulletin reported.

Organised by the European Chamber of Commerce Philippines (ECCP), the Europa Awards seek to promote and recognise companies with exceptional performance and contributions in promoting sustainability in keeping with global standards and the Philippine Development Plan.

Tristan Aboitiz, president and CEO of Pilmico Foods Corporation, said the company started Project Silk in 2017 to support and empower local corn farmers in Bukidnon in the Mindanao region. This involved direct sourcing of yellow corn from local farmers' cooperatives to secure a portion of Pilmico's corn requirements for its feed milling business.

"I am very proud of the work we've done so far and we hope that the successful roll-out in Mindanao will serve as a model for more of these kinds of partnerships being established around the Philippines in the future," added Aboitiz. The company's current beneficiary is the Mantibugao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Farmers Cooperative (MARBFC). Similar initiatives in Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental have been launched.