LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – In the face of growing social and environmental challenges, agricultural organizations and other farmers in this highland province are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration.
To improve soil health, maintain water quality and foster local food security in places where they operate, an unspecified number of Ibaloy, Kankana-ey and other indigenous farmers operating in La Trinidad have begun seriously looking into how nature-based knowledge can restore local ecosystems and improve community well-being.
Many of them now do admit without hesitation that current food and agricultural systems in use are severely impacting local greenhouse gas emission, deforestation and freshwater usage, unlike before when they merely shrugged these off.
In response to such issues, they have been exploring strategies for making food systems more resilient and sustainable.
This organic transition initiative allows La Trinidad farmers to hold a unique position in the marketplace through comprehensive support extended by institutions like the provincial government, Benguet State University (BSU), La Trinidad Municipal Agriculture Office (LT-MAO) and the Department of Agriculture (DA-CAR).
These farmers’ efforts have been documented by researchers Christine Grace B. Sidchogan-Fuchigami, of the Department of Development Communication, College of Information Sciences of Benguet State University (BSU) and Faith B. Napudo of the Department of Communication, Public and International Affairs Office of Ifugao State University.
Titled “Upscaling Organic Agriculture System of La Trinidad Benguet Farmers,” their study was submitted to BSU’s Mountain Journal of Science and Interdisciplinary Research arm, and after review by BSU, was finally accepted seven months later after its submission.
In particular, regenerative agriculture strategies, can reduce greenhouse effects from agricultural food production, mend local ecosystems and strengthen community- well-being in specific geographical locations, the study noted.
Much hope is vested in organic farming across the world. Now, Benguet farmers are joining the venture. Organic agriculture is a promising trade and sustainable development opportunity and a powerful tool for achieving the Philippines Millennium Development Goals, particularly those related to poverty reduction and the environment.
Sidchogan-Fuchigami and Napudo traced how many farmers in Benguet are shifting to organic agriculture where realization of the development goals is paramount and sustaining livelihood in a constant manner.
On another important side, organic agriculture would help them reduce greatly, use of chemical inputs while increasing their yield. Organic agriculture is essential as it drastically lessens chronic and acute exposure to pesticides among Benguet farmers as well as the environment.
Further, Sidchogan-Fuchigami and Napudo pointed out that organic produce has higher nutritional value with greater vitamins as organic farming contributes to healthy soil and facilitate availability of nutrients to plants.
Profile of the Benguet farmer-respondents of the study showed majority were female and married. Most of them are members of two or more farmer organizations for additional market and government support.
Highest number (16.67%) fell in the age ranges of 46-50 and 51-55. In terms of educational background, 30 per cent of them finished college, 23.33 per cent were vocational graduates and 3.33 per cent have doctorates.
Most of the respondents, especially the high school undergraduates (6.67%) down to the elementary level (13.33%) have learned about organic farming from people, either relatives or employers.
Most of the informants are related, either on the following: mother-daughter; brother-sister; employer-laborer; cousins-cousin; brother-sister and, “kailyan” or coming from the same place.
Such implied that there was a higher tendency of going organic if a farmer personally knew someone who was into organic farming. Informants, whose parents and other siblings who were engaged in organic farming, shared that even before becoming organic farmers, they had helped out on organic farms, the study found out.
There were 30 farmer-respondents, their experiences and the pool of support from people close to them were imperative in their flight to organic farming.
Also, the “employer-laborer” influence and trail was seen among the informants, where former laborers in organic farms have become tenants (independent from their employers) in the years that came. Most claimed they started to venture into organic agriculture when they found support from family, friends and organizations.
In the face of ecological challenges, there was a need to explore how organizations can help revitalize local communities and ecosystems. To validate claims of respondents, their organizations were likewise identified by the study.
Six of the organizations were registered with La Trinidad –Agriculture Municipal Office (LT-MAO) way back in 2015. These were organized with the main aim of consolidating organic crops for easier market and market linkage.
La Trinidad Organic Practitioner-Multi-Purpose Cooperative was first to be established in 2005, the first farming association in Benguet to be certified by the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines. It has 180-plus members, 172 members of which, as of this date, continuously deliver organic produce to La Trinidad Trading Posts as well as to other customers.
Meanwhile, the Benguet Organic Practitioners Association is a household name for organic practitioners in La Trinidad, as its membership cuts across all municipalities of Benguet.
In 2009, farmers tilling leased lands of BSU organized themselves. These farmer-partners of BSU underwent the Certificate in Practical Organic Agriculture Training conducted by BSU. This group later registered with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-CAR) and became the Balili Organic Farmers Association.
Balili Organic Farmers Association is independent from BSU Internal Guarantee System (BIGS) but it is obliged to sell 20 per cent of their products to BIGS market. BIGS is one of the extension modalities of BSU and is under the supervision of the Technology Diffusion and Commercialization Division of the Office of the Extension Services.
Two organic organizations namely Ambiong La Trinidad Organic Practitioners Association and Tawang Organic Farmers Association were organized in 2012, followed by La Trinidad Organic Farmers Association in 2013.
La Trinidad Municipal Agriculture Office (LT-MAO), in its bid to support organic agriculture, assisted the organic farmers by helping them acquire a stall in front of La Trinidad’s old market. Said stall has the name “La Organica,” on its signboard, where members are organic farmers from the organizations and where organic produce are presently dispatched.
Peculiarly, the study noted that organic farming in La Trinidad is significantly women-driven. As to scope of coverage, each organization caters to specific areas, indicating that presence of organic farmers in particular areas propel the creation of organizations that would represent them.
Organizing among organic farmers was found the best strategy considering the context in which this farming system was undertaken. This later, brought about crop programs and the establishment of market outlets.
All of the respondents underwent several capacity-building activities like trainings and seminars for them to qualify as members of the organizations. As such, all of them related that they religiously apply what have been taught to them from farm planning, organic agriculture technologies, crop programming, plant care and maintenance, records keeping and post-harvest techniques.
Respondents shared that these capacitated them in learning about organic agriculture. By applying what they have learned, processes in organic farming were realized and their products adhered to organic agriculture standards.
For instance, the study delved on the case of Anita, migrant organic farmer. Coming from humble beginnings, Anita, 37, traces her origin from Asipulo, Ifugao. From a family of 9 children, she is second to the last. Her family survived by growing potatoes on the swidden farms and working in others’ rice fields in exchange for a few bundles of palay.
Finishing elementary education was a big success for her. Anita moved to Mountain Trail for greener pasture during her late teens and later married a fellow laborer from Isabela. They tilled the land for vegetable production and served years as farm laborers.
She recalled those years toiling in newly-sprayed garden soil and farms in Mountain Trail, endured numbness in the fingers, dizziness and hurting eyes. Laborers work the worst activities on farms. They were meagerly paid.
During those times, they were paid 100 to 150 pesos per day. In 1999, her husband suffered a stroke and died. Together with their 2 children, they moved to La Trinidad in 2006. She worked as laborer on the BSU experimental farm for four years and then heard of the Internal Control System trainings conducted by the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) at BSU compound.
Moved by Anita’s interest to join the trainings, the BSU employees paid for her training registration for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).
By the time her contract ended at BSU Experimental Station, BSU Internal Guarantee System (BIGS) decided the one to oversee one of the BSU tilled lands must be GAP- trained. Anita applied and was selected. From lowly beginnings, she went on to become a successful organic agriculture top-notch.
Different government institutions are doing their best to help those wanting to engage in organic agriculture, initiatives like delivering wrap-up around technical assistance, farmer-to-farmer mentoring, support through conservation, financial assistance, crop insurance and market development support in targeted markets.
Farmers face challenging technical, cultural and market shifts while transitioning to organic agriculture, even during first years of successful certification. Through multi-phased, multi-government agencies initiatives, these expand support for them every step of their transition as they work to become certified and secure markets for their products, the study explained.
