Community Based Sustainable Agriculture (SA)

Sustainable Agriculture (SA) is based on people and driven by people. Community basic needs of adequate and safe food, health and nutrition are prioritized in the development plan. Sustainable agriculture promotes ecological conservation, protection and enhancement by tapping local resources with technologies appropriate for the people. These are carefully and rigorously undertaken in steps or phases, where each step leads to the objective of increasing productivity while conserving and improving the state of resources. (see DIFS).

Motivated by objectives of self-reliance, sustainable agriculture is based on local or indigenous knowledge of farmers, upon which their capacities and innovativeness in agriculture and in appropriate technology are built. It values and aims to restore and re-enshrine cooperation in the culture of the farming people.

Sustainable agriculture promotes social justice through land resource ownership and control, the empowerment of the disadvantaged groups and sectors, particularly of indigenous people and rural women.

Community-based SA-Diversified and Integrated Farming System (DIFS) constitute the core technological approach to sustainable food production or SA in our model. Our experiences have shown that DIFS proceeds even in rigorous resource-scarce conditions. It flexibly proceeds in five stages or phases towards maturation, relying on organizational cohesion and individual resolve at every stage.

DIFS generally and flexibly proceeds in five stages or phases towards maturation.


1. Phase 1
   This constitutes the preparatory research and community planning phase: conduct of a participatory baseline research on food needs, agricultural production, resources (land, water, seeds, biodiversity, biomass and other resources), gender roles, the community and its organization. After a collective analysis, development objectives are identified and a community development plan is formulated with the corresponding development indicators.
   
   
2. Phase 2
   This includes resource preparation to implement SA. It is basically comprised by activities such as varietal trials, soil and water assessment, farm plans and trainings to develop the requirements for the main crop (as priority objective) and other food crops, conducted under the following components:
   
   
   • genetics conservation: comprised by community collection of traditional seeds with desired traits that are made to undergo systematic varietal adaptability trials or VAT (2-year cycle for main crops) at the farm level. The VAT successful varieties are then mass produced for food crops and genetic base for diffusion in the community and in other communities. Vegetable species and varieties follow the crop adaptability trial or CAT intended to enhance diversity of food crops in the community.
     
     Seed development (selection and breeding) follows for further improvement of genetic bases, and may take place in proceeding DIFS phases.
     
     
     
     
   • Soil and water conservation. This is comprised, firstly, by soil and biomass assessment in the locality. Analysis of findings will then lead to the subsequent identification of appropriate technology (composting, biofertilization, integration of leguminous crops, and others), operational strategy (decentralized or centralized) and sustainability mechanisms. Soil conversion stages are identified under this step.
     
     Water availability and critical requirement for production will be assessed through a specific study, and solutions identified.
     
     
     
     
   • Farm planning, trainings and research and technology development. This is comprised by farm appraisal and planning, followed by trainings (basic and advanced farmer technicians') on sustainable agriculture to a group of individuals selected by the members of the community. These individuals possess a number of qualifications to become farmer technicians who will take lead in technological activities outlined in the plan. This is followed by on-farm research and development where case documentation and monitoring tools (modules, formats and instruments) are developed.
     
     
3. Phase 3
   This is aimed at implementing the recommendations resulting from Phase 2 (the genetic trials, soil and water assessment, farm planning and training).
   
   • Genetic conservation testing and mass production, soil fertility improvement are sustained in this phase through the path of on-farm research and implementation. Development of water sources are persevered at this stage.
     
     
   • Farm production and development. There are two paths to implement production proper at the farm level. First is along communal farm development (as the main and immediate path) and along farmer cooperator development (as the strategic path). The communal farm is intended for demonstration as well as production where labor and produce are shared by members. Communal farm development is most feasible where farmers can decide on appropriate site and size of communal farms. Cooperator farms are comprised by home gardens and individual farm lots.
     
     
   • Postharvest development (milling, shelling, processing) is attended in this phase, as yield increase in the main crop is realized. Here, feasibility study with farmer involvement is required towards designing the appropriate technology for postharvest.
     
     
4. Phase 4
   Within this stage, expansion into other farm rigorous farm components, as increased yield is realized, such as:
   • crop and livestock integration to augment food sources and income, enhance nutrient recycling, optimize local farm resources to reduce dependence upon external inputs
   • agro-forestry to enhance food production on the buffer areas along forest conservation and rehabilitation in depleted and resource-scarce upland zones
   • aquaculture to provide additional protein sources to improve nutrition for the households
   • livestock breeding and development at the farm level
   
   In mountainous zones, watershed conservation and protection is necessary and may have to be addressed at earlier phases.
   
   
5. Phase 5
   The final phase sustains all the above components and installs crop-based enterprise development geared towards making the link to the market.
   
   
   • Capacity building is basic to develop and sustain CBSA. The development of capacities is a continuing concern at the farmer and the NGO partner levels.
     
     At the farmer and community level, the training of individual farmer technicians, farm cooperators and the participants in communal-demonstration farm development constitute the main stroke for building capacities and making SA take deep roots in the community.