Editor's Note
By the time you read this, we in the Philippines would have been under quarantine for a year. A year of having to stay inside, not being able to travel freely, of taking precautions so that we and the people around us don’t contract COVID-19.
While most of the world ground to an almost standstill, farmers soldiered on, their work, which mostly took place outdoors in socially distanced conditions, unhampered for the most part except when it came time to ship harvests to customers. This was when our country’s lack of infrastructure was painfully obvious.
To help alleviate the worsening food security situation, the Department of Agriculture enacted the Plant, Plant, Plant program, which encouraged communities and homeowners with the spaces to do so to grow their own food. This, coupled with many people’s fear of losing access to food, plus their need to while away time while at home, turned into a gardening boom, both for edible and ornamental plants. We hear the story of Sajikh E. Ayonan, a reader from Zambales who started growing his own food when the quarantine period started.
In this issue, we look at alternatives: Our cover story is about a company who grows high quality tilapia fingerlings in tanks using in-house technology developed specifically to suit local conditions, particularly the concern for electricity. We also feature a Bukidnon farm that grows adlai, an endemic grain which is fast gaining popularity in health-conscious circles as a healthier alternative to rice. And in a country that loves rice, something like this, given widespread production, distribution, and consumption, has the potential to become a staple crop. From the same province comes a story on an indigenous cooperative whose naturall-yprocessed coffee won a prestigious international award a few years back but whose production continues to benefit the IP community members who process it.
Of course, while alternatives can be good, it doesn’t mean we have to ignore what consumers continue to clamor for. Read about people who have found success as mushroom farmers. There are also tips on poultry farming (timely given the rising prices and demand for chicken), getting GAP certification for corn planting, and guidelines from farmers themselves on how to make sure that an organization that says they “help farmers” actually properly compensate their partners in the fields.
As we wait for the vaccines to roll out, let us hope that once the world opens up again, it doesn’t forget the lesson we learned, especially at the start of lockdown: that we should value our farmers (This includes you, dear reader!) by paying them fairly, avoiding food waste, and never forgetting that if it weren't for them, it would be difficult for many people to shelter safely in their own homes.
Stay healthy, stay safe.