Economic Rights
IDEALS uses developmental legal services to assist and empower farmers and agrarian reform beneficiaries by making them legally, economically, and politically independent. We see that issues confronting the rural sector and Philippine trade are inextricably linked, thus, our Economic Rights Program have focused on projects related to international trade and land rights.
We have largely contributed to lobbying efforts for the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and other progressive policies that ensure that the rights of the farmworkers and rural sector are upheld and protected. We have also urged vigilance for the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) as a convenor of the Junk JPEPA Movement.
Currently, the Economic Rights Programs has been focusing on assisting cavendish banana farmers in Mindanao to have their unfair contracts with big businesses revoked or renegotiated. This is in line with our advocacy on Business and Human Rights (BHR) to ensure that local businesses models promote human rights, accountability, and gender equality.
Projects in the Program
Fair Finance Asia (FFA) Philippines
Fair Finance Asia (FFA) centers on the financial sector’s potential to limit the negative impacts of investments by encouraging banks to include environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in business and financial decisions. By identifying best practices, champions, and drivers for the advocacy, FFA aims to promote accountability and transparency within the banking industry in addition to strengthening the financial sector’s commitment to addressing ESG –related issues.
Gender Transformative Agribusiness Investments in Southeast Asia (GRAISEA 2)
Farmers are one of the most marginalized sectors in the Philippines. IDEALS aims to address this by working with the government and civil society organizations to open more opportunities for members of the agricultural sector.
GRAISEA 2 hopes to influence businesses in implementing fairer practices, especially in the areas of climate resilience and women’s economic empowerment. It also focuses on changing social mindsets on unpaid care and housework often done by women.
Public Campaign on unfair banana production contracts
Despite the millions earned by banana corporations each year, farmers are left to endure long-term contracts that not only pay them a pittance for their labor, but also leave them the burden of shouldering production and farming expenses for the fruit. By building public awareness on these unfair production deals and tapping major markets such as Japan, IDEALS hopes to help farmers establish more equitable and sustainable contracts that give them fair pay for their produce.
Documentation & Production
