Community-based Sustainable Agriculture (CBSA) Development Program

Way back in the early 80’s, SIBAT’s sustainable agriculture program came as result of the clamor of farmers for alternative farming systems different from the prevalent Green Revolution Technology (GR) widely adopted during the period. Already, agricultural studies and analyses at that time pointed out that the GR package have created more damage to the once sustainable farming practice of rural farmers. The adverse impact cut across the social, political,cultural, economic and technological spheres of Philippine agriculture. The trend showed that the Green Revolution Technology failed the Filipino farmers.

Environmental contamination due to chemical residues poisoned soils, affected farmers health, narrowed genetic resources to a few single varieties especially for rice. Farmers are driven further into debts and poverty. Formal and institutional initiatives to counter the existing chemical farming technology at that time have not been established fully. Government agricultural policies continue to promote chemical farming and prioritizing high value crops for export than securing supply of staple food. Support was allocated to corporate agriculture, controlled by multinational corporation more than small farmers. Agricultural research and development focused on developing hybrid seeds and eventually progressed towards genetic engineering that produced today’s transgenic and other genetically modified crops.

This context led to SIBAT spearheading Sustainable Agriculture promotion as alternative farming practice and as core component of its appropriate technology (AT) work . Being a network, it pioneered the institutionalization of Community-based Sustainable Agriculture (CBSA)in the Philippines focused on servicing the poor and marginalized farming sectors. These are remote communities in varied typologies grossly affected not only by the damage wrought by the GR technology but as well through the accompanying socio-economic and political elements of the GR fix.

CBSA Framework

SIBAT’s Sus-Ag framework goes beyond the technological domain of the so-called alternative farming system by not only promoting non-chemical (sometimes intertwined with organic, ecological or natural farming method). It is wholly integrated into the fundamental and basic principles of agricultural development contextualized in the socio-economic, political and cultural conditions of the Philippine peasantry.

It is an agricultural system that is closely linked to the primary struggles of the peasantry against issues that caused Philippine agricultural underdevelopment. Primarily, it helps build the capacities of farmers and thereby increasing their stakes in their pursuit for land access, control and security- which is a basic resource requirement before any agricultural development could forward.

It is a system that enhances and asserts farmers rights to other basic agricultural resources such as genetic materials especially for food crops. It builds on indigenous knowledge and resources of farmers and one that spurs their inherent qualities on innovations, experimentation, and inventiveness. It embodies the normative principles of a farming systems that should be economically viable, culturally adaptive, socially just and human, ecologically sensitive, adhering to participatory processes and promotive of self-reliance. Thus it is a wholistic approach that looks at the comprehensive development of the farmers and the community.

Being community-based, it is owned, implemented, managed and sustained by the community that is organized, bearing a community-generated development plan and direction. This CBSA is integrated into the organizational development plans of the of the Peoples Organization, incorporated into their organizational structures as regards implementation, monitoring and overall management. It seeks to achieve a total agricultural development woven into the socio-economic,cultural,political, environmental life of the organization and the community.

It is one that should strengthen and consolidate united efforts of members of the organizations, capacitate and empower them to build their knowledge, skills and attitudes to chart a community development path that should fulfill their basic needs and felt problems basically taking off from developing their agricultural resources. Thus SIBAT’s SA work depends significantly on the Peoples Organization as backbone in the promotion and wider adoption of Sustainable Agriculture and other interventions that could respond appropriately to peoples needs and aspirations

It also involves interaction, collaboration with other stakeholders that are equally responsible if not obliged to render support and enhance the inherent potentials of the peasant sector particularly the prime stakeholders that include the government, church, the academe, public research and social service institutions and partner NGOs and POs.

In that vein, SIBAT’s CBSA work conjoins with existing plans and initiatives particularly of the Local Government Units especially along Sus-ag. It seeks cooperation along government resource access, promulgation of local policies to promote SA and ideally as safeguard mechanisms against threats and issues that would constrained SA adoption such as open pit mining, massive utilization of food production areas to bio-fuels or land conversions to non-agricultural uses. In the process, it hopes also to heighten the awareness of the LGU to prioritize and render sustained services especially sustainable development programs in agriculture to their respective constituencies.

SIBAT also does interfacing with the academe as crucial partner/stakeholder along research cooperation, manpower and skills, facilities and equipments, knowledge resource sharing and advocacy work. Similar activities are undertaken likewise with other stakeholders in Sus-ag partnership work.

CBSA as Major Component of SIBAT’s Village-Level Sustainable Development (VLSD) Strategic Model

The Community-based Sustainable Agriculture (CBSA) work is a major program component of SIBAT’s strategic direction of establishing Village-level Sustainable Development (VLSD) model communities. This include integrated development projects in the scale of communities (barangays or sitios) or clusters, where land issues have been temporarily or more decisively won. In this model, agri-based and biodiversity-based ecological food production is taken to be the critical development path, while processing-enterprise-market is the forward development linkage. The model also includes the requirements of organizational and technological assistance, which SIBAT and the local NGO partners provide.

Program Components and Strategies

The Community-based Sustainable Agriculture Program (CBSA) is complemented by other programs of SIBAT that attend to basic rural infrastructure development specifically along water and renewable energy. These are the Community-based Water Resource Development (CBWRD) and the Community-based Renewable Energy Systems (CBRES). The water projects develop water resources for potable and irrigation supply supporting the goals of production improvement and efficiency. Renewable energy aims to develop renewable energy sources (such as water, solar energy, wind and biomass) to produce electricity primarily to run production, post-harvest facilities, and other primarily agri-based livelihood enterprises and secondarily to provide household lighting.

CBSA adopts the following sustainable food production technological approaches:

1. Diversified Integrated Farming Systems (DIFS) features integration of crop/livestock, herbal plants, fruits and forest trees in a specified production area. The approach is to establish various types of crops and livestock to provide diverse food sources, biodiversity, nutrient recycling, balancing of prey-predator relationship of insects and a host of related ecological benefits.

SIBAT established different levels of diversification categorized into different phases of implementation. Phase 1 Level 1 of diversification would feature the establishment of basic food crops like rice and corn coupled with a few vegetables, other types of crops will be incorporated in the next phases.

Site specific diversification approaches are being adopted based also on the different farming system typologies (upland rice, upland corn, or coconut-based farming systems) of partner communities.

2. Upland Natural Resource Management is focused in conducting food production rehabilitation work in the upland areas. These ecosystems are characteristically resource-scarce, highly depleted of biomass, water and vegetation to develop healthy soil to support vigorous food crop production. The communities are surviving with subsistence crops with lean months ranging from 4-6 months without availability of staple food supply such as rice and corn.

SIBAT works on restoring sparse vegetation and watershed areas through Agro-forest and Watershed Management activities. Implementation includes inventory, mapping, delineation of watershed boundaries, nursery development, forest and fruit trees outplanting and introduction of new species that are managed by the communities. This entails also maximization of indigenous practices of forest protection through policies and cultural structures especially among indigenous upland areas. It also involved advocacy work with LGU’s to formulate policies and resolutions detailing their roles and responsibilities in forest/watershed protection.

Upland food production areas are rehabilitated and developed through introduction of sloping agricultural technologies to expand suitable sites for food production in undulating and highly eroded terrains, improvement of seed stocks through, retrieval, collection, propagation of time-tested food crop (rice, corn, vegetables, endemic fruit trees and livestock and fresh water fish) to augment the food sources.

Water resources will be developed to support water needs of food crop production and for potable water supply of the households.

3. Genetic Conservation and Improvement is a program component that address the need to maintain and protect existing varieties that are adapting well to local micro-climate and ecological conditions and specifying the basic food crops as priorities. The main approach is “ex situ” community seedbanking. The process involves experimentation, trial/testing of retrieved food crop varieties until performing cultivars (rice and corn) reached a stage of stable performance (usually identified after four (4) cropping seasons) in terms of crop growth and yield output prior to wider dissemination to farmers.

The approach is applying the natural selection process of seed improvement through Varietal Adapatability Trials (VAT) for rice and corn and Crop Adaptability Trials (CAT) for assorted vegetable crops. This is a farmer-managed strategy where farmer groups select good performing varieties every harvest in each of the cropping season and replant these in the next season based on criteria that they themselves set such as good yield, seed quality, taste, resistance to pest and diseases.

Normally, these are done in communal farms that also serve as seed production, propagation and seed technology training ground areas of the members of the peoples organization. Although in some instances, VAT and CAT are done in some volunteer farmer cooperator farms managed by farmers trained as para-agriculturists assigned to model and train their fellow farmers on the various technologies.

Also, micro policies on seed collection, sharing and distribution to farmers are established within the organizations. This serves as their governing mechanism in seed improvement activities.

4. Water Resource Development involves the development of water resources for potable and irrigation supply. Potable water systems are normally developed as gravity types while others are utilized through photo-voltaic water pumps as renewable energy application.

5. Urban Sustainable Agriculture is a project activity that encouraged supplementary food production in urban spaces (e.g., vacant areas, roof, window ledges) and recyclable containers particularly for urban poor dwellers. This also includes the processing of market and household biodegradable wastes into biofertilizers to support the food production work of the communities. This is done in partnership with church-based communities, local government units and urban peoples organizations usually composed of relocated squatter communities.

6. Related Sustainable Agriculture Production Technologies

Soil Fertilization Methods

The common fertilization methods being promoted include active campaign on biomass development through planting of leguminous materials along field peripheries, establishment of biofertilizer plants, vermicomposting, nutrient recycling cropping patterns, use of indigenous microorganisms, application of fallow periods and related approaches.

Alternative Pest and Disease Management

Ensuring healthy soil and quality seeds is expected to produce sturdy and pest-resistant crops and hence are the first line of approach being applied. Various ecological, mechanical, chemical and biological approaches which are proven technologies being widely practiced, innovated and constantly improved are applied depending on pest incidence and appropriate to situations and conditions

Bio-intensive Gardening and Food Always in the Home Methods (BIG/FAITH)

The program also introduces the widely popularized BIG/FAITH food production approach both for the rural and urban project communities including schools, women’s organization and advocates.

CBSA Services

SIBAT implements community-based sustainable agriculture (CBSA) as its core program since 1984. SIBAT has continuously enhanced its practice and learning through the years deriving its wealth of experience from the services it renders. SIBAT agriculturists functions as trainors, advisors and consulting partners primarily for Peoples Organization (PO) partners, NGOs/civil society organizations, agencies and institutions that advocate or implement SA project activities. Presently, SA services are rendered through:

• SA Program Building: This involves institutional capacity building for organizations intending to develop SA Program, which may include assistance in locating SA within institutional vision and goals of the organization, developing the different phases of projects work along SA project development cycles, and guidance/sharing of technical experiences during actual implementation. The partnership could be designed for an immediate or long term engagement.

• Integrated Community Seedbanking: Includes in situ seeds conservation, selection and adaptability trials, dissemination and maintenance strategies of traditional and improved plant cultivars. A major focus is on food crops and secondarily on other agroforest crops. ICSB planning and implementation mechanisms combine the elements of food crops productivity and security alongside genetic conservation and ecological considerations (click here for more).

• SA Training: Customized type of training covering various subjects - Alternative Pest Management, Diversified and Integrated Farming Systems, Organic Crop Production, Agroforestry Systems, Animal Production and Breeding, Soil and Fertility Management, and Urban food production. Development of local para-agriculturists or SA technologists through ladderized SA modules for PO leaders, farmer leaders, NGO staff, personnel and its officers. Training programs particularly the approaches and methods are customized based on training needs diagnosis and objectives of partners, conduct on site, or season-long patterned after a farmer field school or immersion at the SIBAT Organic Farm and Training Center in Capas, Tarlac.

• Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation of SA Projects and Programs: includes the application of participatory methods in assisting the PME of community-managed SA projects and programs.

• Resource Persons. SIBAT has in-house pool and external associates that could serve as resource persons on topics and other issues related to SA, this can be arranged based on availability and expertise required vis-a-vis the formal request.

• Technical Advisors. This pertains to partners with SA projects that require technical inputs and advisories on identified problem areas involving SA technology concerns in the field or at the Program level. Depending on the case, this may entail actual site visit or a discussion meeting in instances of program concerns to obtain first hand assessment of the situation.

• Exchange Visits to SA Areas. SIBAT, together with its existing project partners, have facilitated local and international visits to select SA sites along various objectives and purposes. Depending on expectations, the visit/exposure exchange could both be learning and giving process where some render services and resources for the program. Currently, SIBAT has opened a demonstration/experimentation farm in Capas Tarlac designed as training/ learning center on SA and eventually appropriate technology. Also, SIBAT has served as co-organizer of inter-country collaboration around SA exchanges with its international partners by way of contributing in concept, content and program development down to in-country preparations and coordination work.

• Organizing SA symposia, workshops, conferences and Fairs. SIBAT facilitates regular conferences, workshops, fora and on occasions SA Fairs that accompany its ground implementation of SA project activities. In consultation with partners and depending on the end goals and target of the activities, SIBAT can design a template and format to organize these events.

• Qualifying Trainings on Standards and Quality Towards Organic Certification. SIBAT has been in the forefront in the development of Philippine Organic Standards and Certification for organic products. It provides training services establishing quality control systems to prepare partners gearing for certification and eventually as suppliers to local and international fair trade markets.

• Agro-ecological System’s Analysis Towards SA Project Designing. This is a tool/methodology to help determine the various determinants in an agro-ecological system that will serve as one of the bases in developing an SA program intervention design. This is part of a research process done at the onset of any SA project intervention and can be facilitated by SIBAT through training and ground mentoring work.

• IEC materials for SA. SIBAT continually develops SA IEC materials and currently have some latest copies albeit limited of research studies on impact of GMOs on farmers, SA and indigenous knowledge, food security issues, SA modules and conference proceeding materials. Minimal charges are levied to access some of these materials to cover keeping and distribution cost.

	Upland Food Production
	Organic rice varietal adaptability trial in Bohol
	Preparing indigenous microorganisms for soil fertilization.
	B'laan youth para-agriculturists in Sarangani province
	Urban sustainable agriculture at Bagong Silang, Caloocan