Through the project, the communities decided to brand their rice as Wagas Dati, meaning ‘our rice’ in the Dusun-Tindal Language.
This brand unites the vision of the four villages we work in (Kg. Tinuhan, Kg. Lapasan Ulu, Kg. Timbou and Kg. Wangkod) and puts the communities on an entrepreneurial journey towards becoming a producer of sustainably grown Sabah heirloom rice.
Food security will always be our main priority. Once the farmers have taken care of the food (rice) needs of his/her families, their remaining rice is pooled together between the four villages and sold as Wagas Dati.
Farmers learn how to build a brand, develop fair trade prices of their rice, package and sell their product, and share our stories.
With Sabah’s rice Self Sufficiency Level (SSL) at a low 25% and many urban consumers buying imported local rice for their daily consumption, Wagas Dati hopes to make itself known and accessible to local urban consumers, to tell the story of local and champion choosing local. By cause and effect, we hope that increased demand in local rice will inspire the younger generation to keep our rice planting cultures alive with responsible planting methods, raising both our self-sufficiency levels and health as a state.
It is our intention to bring stories from the field and of the past to our present and towards an optimistic tomorrow.
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