In the farming communities of San Isidro, Quirino, Isabela, rice remains a lifeline. For the Quirino-Isabela Multi-Purpose Cooperative (QIMPC), rice production is not just an economic activity, it is a way to build resilience, improve livelihoods, and promote sustainable agriculture.
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Since 2012, QIMPC has been a partner of the Foundation for a Sustainable Society, Inc. (FSSI), working together to support farmers through financial access and the promotion of Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA).
QIMPC traces its roots to 2004, when it was formed through a project initiated by Plan International. It was then known as the Quirino Farmers Credit Cooperative (QUIFARCO), and later registered with the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) in 2010. The primary sources of income in their region are rice and corn, and QIMPC now serves a majority of members engaged in farming these crops.
In 2014, FSSI extended its first credit line to the cooperative to support the implementation of its LEISA rice production project. LEISA promotes farming practices that reduce dependence on costly external inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Instead, it harnesses the natural productivity of ecosystems, combined with farmer knowledge and labor, to produce food sustainably.
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For QIMPC, LEISA has become both a strategy and a way of life. It is a response to the pressing challenges farmers face: rising production costs, climate variability, and limited access to resources. With LEISA, farmers are able to lower expenses and improve soil health, while also contributing to environmental conservation. “Our greatest accomplishment is the consistent implementation of the LEISA project,” said Mr. Jerry Reginaldo, Manager of QIMPC. “We are the only cooperative in our locality consistently pursuing this approach.”
QIMPC was introduced to FSSI through a fellow cooperative in 2012. After attending a capacity building seminar, QIMPC’s board saw the alignment between FSSI’s triple bottom line (3BL) approach of people, planet, and profit and the cooperative’s own goals. This shared vision became the foundation of this partnership. “FSSI’s support has helped us provide easier access to loans for our farmer-members, with lower interest rates,” Reginaldo shared. “It has also encouraged us to adopt the 3BL framework in our operations, which added value not just to our services but to our long-term direction.”
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As a social enterprise in the agriculture sector, QIMPC continues to face familiar challenges: the unpredictable effects of climate change, the low market prices of rice and corn, high input costs, and limited human resource. Despite these, the cooperative remains committed to building an inclusive and sustainable rice value chain.
QIMPC’s vision for the future is clear. In the next three to five years, the cooperative aspires to complete the full rice value chain, from financing and production to harvesting, drying, milling, and marketing. This will include expanding trading operations, extending lending services beyond Quirino municipality, and creating better market access for their farmer-members. “We want to sell our products outside the region to help farmers get better prices. We’re also pursuing bulk buying and strengthening our trading capacity,” said Reginaldo.
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To further this goal, QIMPC hopes for continued support in developing its rice trading and post-harvest facilities. These investments, they believe, will be essential in strengthening their operations and delivering greater value to their members.
QIMPC’s long-standing partnership with FSSI reflects a shared commitment to the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. Through sustainable farming practices like LEISA, the cooperative supports community needs, protects the environment, and strengthens its financial sustainability, demonstrating how agricultural social enterprises can effectively apply the 3BL approach.
