Harvesting Potential: Scaling Technology and Market Access for All Filipino Farmers

The Philippines imports $11.5 billion worth of food annually. As global supply chains face disruptions and prices climb, this substantial domestic demand is creating opportunities for local producers. In response, Filipino farmers have begun adopting new technologies and exploring direct market access, though the transformation remains uneven across regions and farm types.

Farmer Segments

Our proprietary research shows that Filipino farmers generally fall into three groups – Strong, Stable, and Struggling – each with distinct behaviors, capabilities, and constraints. These segments help explain why some farmers are advancing more quickly than others—and why strategies for modernization must be tailored accordingly.

“Strong farmers” are the sector’s high performers who’ve adopted technology, built direct market connections, and consistently achieved better productivity. “Stable farmers” run solid operations but still face barriers to growth, while “struggling farmers” encounter significant challenges in productivity and market access. These segments reflect real differences in how farmers operate and access resources, which shape their adoption of technology—as explored in our research findings.

The Move Toward Direct-to-Consumer Farming

A key marker of the sector’s ongoing transformation is the way farmers are reaching their customers. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales are gaining momentum across the industry, but it’s the stronger, more tech-enabled farmers who are leading the shift and seeing the greatest success. These well-positioned farmers are significantly more likely to sell directly to consumers—with eight out of ten strong farmers engaged in D2C sales, compared to six out of ten among other farmer segments.

Farmer Engagement in Direct Sales

This disparity reflects their greater ability to utilize mobile platforms to connect with buyers, manage sales, and coordinate deliveries, therefore lessening their dependence on middlemen and capturing higher margins. This also highlights a divide in the agricultural sector, as farmers without strong technical capabilities or resources find it increasingly difficult to compete in direct marketing channels.  

Technology Adoption Patterns 

This shift toward direct sales becomes possible because of the technology landscape among Filipino farmers. Our farmer survey reveals that 69% now own smartphones, while only two percent have laptops — a mobile-first pattern that mirrors broader technology adoption in developing markets and creates the foundation for precision farming apps, market information systems, and financial services. 

Smartphone Ownership Among Farmers

Our findings, however, show a significant divide in how different farmer segments make use of this technology. Among strong farmers, about one-third have stable internet access at their operations, with this connectivity being a key differentiator in their farm performance and market success. Expanding reliable internet infrastructure to rural farming areas will be essential for broader technology adoption across all farmer segments. 

Stable Internet Access Among Strong Farmers

While smartphone adoption rates already match levels seen in other markets just before significant agricultural technology uptake occurred, device ownership doesn't automatically translate to effective use across all farmer segments. Many farmers continue to rely on traditional information sources and decision-making processes, reinforcing the growing divide between tech-savvy strong farmers who can capitalize on direct sales opportunities and those who remain dependent on conventional methods, thereby sharing part of their profits with intermediaries.

Where Innovation Can Drive Agricultural Growth

The transformation of Philippine agriculture is already underway, led by strong farmers who are leveraging technology, embracing direct-to-consumer models, and benefiting from improved productivity and higher margins. Yet the uneven pace of progress across farmer segments highlights the need for more tailored support—particularly in expanding access to reliable internet, mobile-first tools, and financing.

With the country importing $11.5 billion worth of food annually, there is substantial domestic demand waiting to be captured by local producers. As technology becomes more affordable, bridging the gap between these opportunities and farmer access is key. By scaling what already works—whether it’s tech adoption, direct market access, or collective action—Philippine agriculture can reduce its dependence on imports, improve farmer livelihoods, and build a more resilient, inclusive food system.