Based on the 1996 World Food Summit, food security is defined as when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
HEINEKEN Cares has partnered with PwD Smart FarmAbility in a mission to end hunger and nutrition insecurity via regenerative agriculture.
As a person with disabilities himself, Dr Billy Tang Chee Sang, the founder and CEO of PwD Smart FarmAbility, feels that his social enterprise is his way to express his thanks to everyone who has helped him during the toughest time in his life. Newswav speaks to Dr Billy to find out more about their partnership with HEINEKEN Cares that aims to tackle both the environmental and humanitarian issues at once.
Q: Please tell us about the brief history and objective of PwD Smart FarmAbility
A: In 2015, I experienced a severe car accident when I tried to avoid hitting a motorcyclist, causing my car to flip over. In an instant, everything had changed. I suffered a spinal cord injury, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down. I broke six ribs and had temporary vision loss in my left eye. While my ability to walk has ended, it marked the start of something greater.
The objective of "PwD Smart FarmAbility Journey: From Wheels to Farm" is to prove that where there is a wheel, there is a way. As an agriculturist and paraplegic farmer, my passion led me to greater heights. My aspiration is to humanize persons with disabilities (PwD) in Malaysia, and my initial goal is to inspire healthy living, economic opportunities, and community empowerment. By partnering with various agencies and institutions, my company is better able to achieve its objectives.
Protein Technology Solution
Two threats currently loom over the country: stunting and obesity. The former is caused by children not eating the right food, or not enough of the right food, which results in malnutrition. However, children from poor families can’t afford the right food, only cheap carbs to keep them satiated. PwD Smart FarmAbility uses Protein Technology Solution to help solve this issue.
Q: What is Protein Technology Solution? Why is it important?
A: It is widely known that protein in the human body serves the purpose of repairing cells and creating new ones. Protein is a crucial ingredient in our diets as it is necessary for the growth and development of children.
Protein technology has advanced with a range of protein options now available, including synthetic and natural sources. The right process and product are critical to protein technology's success.
PwD Smart FarmAbility utilizes organic, nutrient-dense regenerative vegetables and Soil-Ution aquaponics technology. Our red tilapia, which is a good source of protein, is used to create ice cream and cookies, providing protein supplements to children, athletes, teenagers, pregnant women, and various other individuals.
Partnering with HEINEKEN Cares
HEINEKEN Cares has collaborated with PwD Smart FarmAbility during Covid-19 pandemic to distribute organic fish and vegetables to over 7,000 low-income families, including marginalized communities like the OKU, single mothers, welfare homes, and B40 families. PwD Smart FarmAbility aims to continue the partnership with HEINEKEN Cares to eliminate hunger, improve nutrition, and refine agriculture.
Q: Could you explain the purpose and details of HEINEKEN Cares collaboration with PwD Smart FarmAbility?
A: Through our groundbreaking Organic Vegetable Terrarium, we have empowered beneficiaries and their families to cultivate fresh, healthy produce without requiring extensive farming knowledge. We’ll be working with HEINEKEN Cares in our ‘Scaling Up Nutrition Movement’ to introduce three of the World's First 'Market-Fit' Agri-Innovation, which has garnered global attention.
PwD Smart FarmAbility under HEINEKEN Cares will also provide Technical & Vocational Education & Training (TVET) for agriculture in two separate phases – one focusing on the regenerative agricultural aspects and another on how to operate a Soil-Ution Satellite Farm System.
Q: How are these initiatives helping the underprivileged communities?
A: Our "Families on the Edge" study found that 6 out of 10 households living in low-cost flats in Kuala Lumpur struggle to purchase enough food for their families. Malnutrition during the first two years of a child's life can cause permanent damage to their physical and cognitive development, perpetuating illness, poverty, and inequality.
The key to enabling the poorest households to continuously feed themselves lies in decentralizing food systems through regenerative agriculture. It's no longer just about farming, but also about providing healthy and nutritious food. We want to help underserved communities located in various regions, including Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Seremban, Malacca, Johor Bahru, Ipoh, and Penang.
Partnerships with programs like HEINEKEN Cares have allowed us to address hunger and food insecurity. The PwD Smart FarmAbility Hope Box Terrarium is an excellent example of this. Beneficiaries can receive a treasure box filled with fresh, nutritious, live, and organic vegetables that require minimal maintenance. This self-watering box does not require fertilizers, skills, or input costs, and it can provide food for the beneficiaries for a guaranteed year.
Future Plans
In the near future, PwD Smart FarmAbility aims to continue addressing food security woes within marginalized communities with their proven terrarium concept so all families can have access to fresh, nutritious food. It is no longer about just making food, but it is about creating a sustainable system for the continuous supply of food for the long term.
Q: What are your future plans and goals for your organisation?
A: PwD Smart FarmAbility has been focusing on providing nutrition security to marginalized groups, particularly people with disabilities and the urban poor.
Our Regenerative Organic Vegetables Terrariums serve as an example to decision-makers that investing just 1% of the country's GDP in a social cause can contribute to a green and circular economy while improving nutrition security. Through our "My Carbon Farm" invention, we aim to provide at least 80,000 units of terrariums in Klang Valley within five years. With this, we can promote soil health, food and health literacy, and increase organic production.
Our ultimate objectives are:
- To boost the production of organic terrariums, vegetables, and fish.
- To roll out the Regenerative Organic Soil-Ution Aquaponics Satellite Farm System in all welfare homes in Malaysia while providing TVET courses.
- To upskill all welfare homes operators and marginalised individuals who have shown aptitude in the field, enabling them to master our World's First Agro-innovations and become proficient in operating a Satellite Farm.
Making a difference in the lives of others
HEINEKEN Malaysia and PwD Smart FarmAbility are committed to empowering marginalized communities by providing them with access to nutritious food and agricultural skills.
We believe that everyone can contribute to creating positive change, no matter how small their contribution may be. Through PwD’s collaboration with HEINEKEN Cares, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of those we touch, by addressing the needs of vulnerable and marginalized individuals and promoting inclusivity.
To get involved, visit https://www.pwdsmartfarmability.com/ for more details or send a contribution to https://www.pwdsmartfarmability.com/donate-hopebox.
About PwD Smart FarmAbility
PwD Smart FarmAbility was founded by Malaysian paraplegic farmer, Dr Billy Tang. The social enterprise began with Dr Billy at a rehabilitation centre. The social enterprise now aims to inspire people to make a difference in the lives of others via regenerative agriculture. PwD Smart FarmAbility focuses on OKU, single mothers, welfare homes, marginalized communities and indigent people.
Their vision is to end hunger and nutrition woes with multiple proven concepts demonstrating that regenerative agriculture is the key to alleviating poverty and restoring soil health, and their mission is to farm for the poor and provide them with the tools to become self-sustainable.