The Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Inc., or AIDFI in brevity, was the brainchild of four (4) persons who rose from the ranks of the National Federation of sugar workers (NFSW), a labor organization that focuses on organizing and educating the sugar workers.  It was in the heap of the sugar industry downfall and crisis in Negros.

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The union went from a farm lot program into the new land reform program and considering its nature of organizing and educating, this program became too big for the union.  The four persons wanted to focus on providing basic services to agrarian reform communities through appropriate technologies and agricultural services and therefore started AIDFI as a Non-Government Organization (NGO).  AIDFI was established and registered as a NGO on July 4, 1992 with registration no. ENO92000214 at the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).