From IoT to Sustainability Science: Varacco’s Commitment to Farmers and Future-Ready Food Systems
On September 10–11, 2025, Varacco participated in the IoT Conference 2025, themed Resilience for All: Future-Proofing Communities. Organized by Packetworx and Redwizard at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, the event with more than 6,000 expected attendees, also featured more than 30 speakers and 50 exhibitors from government, industry, and academia. Discussions focused on how the Internet of Things (IoT) can strengthen community resilience to climate change while building safer, more sustainable futures.
As an exhibitor, Varacco presented the Smart FARM Project, which trains indigenous coffee farmers to become farmer-scientists by blending traditional practices with IoT-enabled farming methods. The booth, which also served
free barako coffee, drew strong interest from professors, students, professionals, and policymakers intrigued by the presence of a coffee company among technology firms. Varacco emphasized its role as a social enterprise advancing farmer capacity, modern practices, and sustainability across the value chain.
Just days later, Varacco partnered in the 3rd International Forum for Sustainability Science 2025 (IFSS 2025), held on September 17–18 in Bacolod City. With the theme Circulating, Renewability, and Regenerative Futures for Food Systems, the forum urged participants to move beyond conventional approaches toward strategies that restore both people and planet. It was hosted by the University of the Philippines Open University and the Department of Science and Technology–Negros Island Region (DOST-NIR).
On September 17, Varacco CEO Ariestelo Asilo led a panel on Nutrition in Food Systems in the Agriculture Sector, joined by Agrea Director Christine Jodloman and Bureau of Plant Industry(BPI) OIC-Chief Carl Vincent Gapasin. The discussion stressed the urgency of strengthening food systems, with research as the cornerstone of agricultural progress.
On September 18, Varacco IT Specialist McLean Bayasca presented an abstract
paper, Digital Transformation Roadmap of Coffee Farmers Association Towards Improved Livelihood in Murcia, Negros Occidental. The study assessed the digital maturity of Do-ong Anangue Coffee Integrated
Farmers Association (DACIFA) and Canlandog Pilot Agro-Forestry Farmers Association (CPAFFA), recommended tailored digital solutions, and outlined a roadmap to build members’ digital capacities through training and coaching. Prepared with partners from DOST-NIR (Glady T. Reyes and John Michael N. Tingson) and BPI (Carl Vincent D. Gapasin), the research underscored that while technology is valuable, addressing farmers’
immediate needs first is essential to prepare them for sustainable digital adoption.
The IFSS 2025 highlighted the global commitment to resilient and sustainable food systems. For Varacco, it provided a platform to shape conversations on regeneration, digital transformation, and farmer empowerment.
Through its engagements at IoTCon and IFSS, Varacco demonstrated its dual commitment to technological innovation and sustainable agricultural development. At IoTCon, it showed how IoT can empower coffee farmers by blending traditional knowledge with modern tools. At IFSS, it advanced thought leadership on food system resilience and digital transformation. Collectively, these contributions position¹1 Varacco not merely as a coffee enterprise, but as a catalyst for inclusive innovation—bridging technology, sustainability, and community empowerment in Philippine agriculture.
- Mclean Bayasca & Jessa Carabaca
AI tools were used for editing and clarity improvement only.