Photo / Glenfiddich
Mayani, which uses technology to directly link smallholder farmers and fisherfolk with customers, won the latest edition of Glenfiddich’s Where Next Club as the Breakthrough Maverick.
As part of their win, the agri-tech startup will win a non-equity dilutive grant worth P1 million and organized mentorship from some of the country’s top business leaders.
The business leaders include Manny Ayala, the managing director of Endeavor PH; Anne Gonzalez, the co-founder and president of Terry S.A; and Martin Cu, a partner at 500 Global. Together, they selected a maverick business that shares Glenfiddich’s vision: to live out one’s passions and create positive and lasting change.
Empowering and transforming lives through technology
Photo / Glenfiddich
“Data indicates that there are about seven layers of middlemen between the farmer and the consumer. It’s a very long and inefficient supply chain,” JT Solis, Mayani’s co-founder and chief executive officer, told WheninManila.com in a one-on-one interview.
This inefficiency also results in a lot of wastage. In recent months, there has been a growing number of posts on social media from farmers asking for help buying their produce. Solis added, “How come there’s a lot of wastage? You see a lot of people hungry, and then in the provinces, you see harvest just being thrown away.”
Mayani aims to solve this through their platform.
Photo / Glenfiddich
“Mayani is an agri-tech startup aiming to uplift the lives of our Filipino farmers and fisherfolk by giving them access to market input and credit. We optimize this process with technology,” co-founder Josef Amarra said.
Through data, Mayani educates farmers about seasonality, forecasting, and market trends. For example, Korean restaurants that serve samgyeopsal are popular. These restaurants use lettuce, potatoes, and radish. With access to this data, Mayani helps farmers plant what consumers want and avoid an oversupply of certain produce.
The platform also promotes fair trade by working with farmers to set better prices for their harvest. According to Ochie San Juan, Mayani’s co-founder and chief farmer, they compute their production costs for better profit. San Juan’s experience as a farmer with three decades of experience in the agriculture sector allows the team to see the reality of the situation.
Photo / Glenfiddich
Mayani’s support for farmers doesn’t end with telling them what to plant and how much to charge. Solis said, “there’s demand for credit loans from farmers and fisherfolk, but they either don’t know how to avail or the banks cannot approve. Imagine if you’re able to bridge that gap. You’re able to financially empower farmers.”
Just last year, Mayani partnered with GCash to open up financial opportunities for farmers. Many farmers are unbanked, which means they don’t have a bank account, assets, or lines of credit. With GCash, Mayani is now able to extend loans that farmers use to plant more, buy seeds and fertilizers, and then reinvest in their livelihood.
As a result, Mayani helps boost rural incomes while strengthening access to affordable fresh produce for both households and commercial buyers.
Where Next?
Photo / Glenfiddich
The Where Next Club looks out for and rewards innovative ventures that are ready to scale up and create a lasting impact in the Philippines and, eventually, the world.
The campaign was started by Glenfiddich, the world’s most awarded single malt Scotch whisky since its inception in 1887. Since its first launch in 2022, it has become a stepping stone for entrepreneurs and businesses embodying the core values of Glenfiddich.
For its latest edition, Mayani competed against AlliedHealth Academics, a platform that upskills Filipino allied healthcare professionals; DOON, the first fully-insured car-sharing marketplace in the Philippines; GoGym, which creates pocket gyms virtually anywhere; and Parlon, a directory of beauty services where customers can book appointments and get exclusive deals.
The Glenfiddich Where Next Club just culminated its 2023 edition, but expect bigger things from all the new members. Their passion and drive are a true testament to the maverick mindset: that reaching the top is just the beginning.
Photo / Glenfiddich
To find out more about Glenfiddich’s Where Next Club, check out their social media channels and reach out to wherenextclub@yellowbrickmedia.com.
Glenfiddich is available at all leading liquor stores online and offline. Enjoy Glenfiddich responsibly.
Facebook: facebook.com/glenfiddichwhisky
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