Organic farmers are the hope for food security

One can be self-sufficient and sustainable at the same time. Even with a small plot, one can grow crops to feed the household and community without having to use expensive and destructive chemical inputs. By taking care of the soil and the ecosystem, farms can be made productive in the long run.

Food security is one of the biggest challenges facing mankind, especially with the looming impacts of climate change. Compounding the issue is the lack of support from both the authorities and the private sector to strengthen agricultural foundations, particularly in developing countries like the Philippines.

With all the adverse news bombarding us about how the world could go hungry in the coming decades, one could not help but feel hopeless. Some of us might even feel angry and just anticipate a cataclysmic end to all. I used to feel that as well but when I traveled to different parts of the country and met with impassioned farmers doing the right thing, I realized that not all hope is gone.

Yes, on the ground, there are determined individuals and groups who have taken small steps forward to create models that address food security in a holistic manner. In my engagements, I’m particularly referring to organic farmers, not necessarily certified but whose convictions and practices totally do away with chemical inputs and practices.

There are many of them on the ground and though they may not be recognized as such, they are champions of agricultural methods that respect nature and the soil in which every crop grows and thrives. They can be referred to as natural farmers, eco-friendly farmers or biodynamic farmers.

There may be differences in specific practices but the commonality that binds them all is their nonusage of synthetic fertilizers. Rather, they take inspiration from the natural cycle and harmonize their farms to be part of the natural balance.

I met Arnold Timmangao, an agroforestry farmer who transformed a once denuded and bald mountain into a lush wonderland. At first glance, his farm looks more like a forest with towering trees and a rich diversity of flora. Birds and insects abound. But it is indeed a farm as integrated into the ecosystem are different species such as rambutan, lanzones, coffee, gabi and many more. This forestfarm also helps sustain water that irrigates rice paddies below and his ponds thrive with freshwater eels. It’s a self-sustaining farm that benefits not only him but the communities below.

Then there’s Ashley Lamaton who create a forest coffee farm as opposed to mono-cropping systems practiced worldwide. A Japanese once visited his farm and was surprised to find out that it looks more like a jungle than a farm. But it is a farm, and it produces high-quality Arabica coffee and other crops. Lamaton shared that he does need to incorporate chemical inputs since the forest takes care of fertilization and irrigation. Even wildlife like birds help minimize pest infestation.

“Para kanyak, ti kinabaknang ket jay maitulong mu ti tau. Bonus lang ti kwarta. Ket nu aywanam ti forest tas agmula ka kape, dytuy ti mang-ited ti maiangus ti tattau karkaru jy mamagyan ijay siyudad (For me, wealth is the help you give to people. Money is just a bonus. And if you take care of the forest and plant coffee, you are helping sustain the oxygen that humans breathe, especially those living in the city),” said Lamaton.

In addition, there are the women coffee farmers of Tublay in Benguet who have been using coffee to improve their livelihoods while reforesting their once-denuded landscapes. They also follow the agroforestry model and don’t apply synthetic fertilizers. But their coffee plants are healthy and productive, allowing them to earn while preserving the pristine condition of the soil.

Definitely, there is more to add to these. And it is truly heartening that, although not as popular, their efforts offer hope for humanity and the planet.

For one, they prove that one can be self-sufficient and sustainable at the same time. Even with a small plot, one can grow crops to feed the household and community without having to use expensive and destructive chemical inputs. By taking care of the soil and the ecosystem, farms can be made productive in the long run. That is the key to food security. Sure, there is a need to scale up these efforts. And that is where the government should come in – to provide an enabling environment that prioritizes sustainable farming practices and the welfare of the farmers doing so. Of course, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is at the helm of this program but it should do more than just publicity and extravagant presentations in expensive hotels. It should, most of all, go to the grassroots – to meet with the farmers, listen to their stories and their aspirations and how they can be supported to sustain their organic practices. Then, from these, they can craft concrete programs and lobby our policymakers to increase funding for such efforts.

It is high time the government’s programs should accelerate the transition to organic agriculture. As a farmer myself, I have seen how conventional farming has devastated our ecosystems, polluted our rivers and impacted the health of our people. We can no longer continue with this trail of uncertainty, and thus, the government should complement the efforts, especially of small players taking things into their own hands, to create models that prove organic agriculture works. And that it is key to food security.

Of course, that is easier said than done. But it can and should be done – as our smallholder farmers are doing.