Addressing the challenge of providing a healthy and sustainable food source for communities, SM Foundation has introduced a training course under its agriculture program called Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) Farmers’ Training.
 
The Urban Farming and Gardening Training course that was implemented in 2015 aims to help promote food security as well as provide an extra form of livelihood for the participants but targets the marginalized sector in the urban setting.
 
Harbest Agribusiness, SM Foundation’s constant partner in its KSK programs, conducted the training envisioned to help teach the participants the concept of smart farming using the limited spaces or backyards of their households. The end objective was to bring nutritious food to every table of its participants.
 
Last year, SM Foundation’s last training of the year was held in BagoBantay, Quezon City, a short distance from SM North EDSA. The 12-week program taught the participants how to utilize space for backyard farming by using recycled containers as planting pots which can easily be replicated in their own backyards.
 
Crops that were grown during the training included lowland and upland vegetables and fruits such as bitter gourd, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, okra, radish,  squash, sweet potato, tomato, watermelons and melons, to name a few.
 
A total of 467 individuals from Manila; Bacoor, Cavite; and Quezon City completed the training last year.
 
SM Foundation capped off the year by ending 2015 with its 100th KSK training. By end of 2015, the program was able to train a total of 12,750 farmers from 2,123 barangays in 551 municipalities and cities from various locations throughout the country.