Rise Of All-Natural Local Farming In The Philippines: Why Choose Local (2024)

FAQs

Why support local farmers in the Philippines? ›

Locally grown food supports the local economy. Supporting local farmers means supporting the local economy, which is major for any city. Money that is spent with local farmers and growers stays close to home and is reinvested with business and services within the community. It creates a cycle of local support!

It Preserves Small Farmland: When local farms are established, eating local protects farmland. Without small-scale farms, the land might otherwise be developed for industrial or commercial use.

In the Philippines, organic farmers use various methods to manage their soils, including traditional methods such as mulching and crop rotation and modern techniques such as vermicomposting. Mulching is a common organic soil management practice in the Philippines.

Agriculture in the Philippines is an important sector in the economy with crops like bananas, coconuts, pineapples, rice and sugarcanes are being mass-produced for exportation but the challenge remains as it steadily running into deficit amid growing population.

2. It helps build the Philippines' economy. Supporting local means supporting yourself too. When you buy Philippine-made products, money stays in the community when you purchase from locally-owned MSMEs because they also purchase from other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms.

It's pretty simple: buy and eat food that is being harvested according to the season. This way, not only do you support our local farmers, but you also save money because “in season” fruits and vegetables are often more affordable than those that aren't.

Local farms help keep food dollars in the local economy and support small businesses, farmers, and entrepreneurs. Community farms can serve as platforms for products and services that grow from the farm, such as value-added food products, garden education and management services, programs and events on the farm.

Local food doesn't have to travel as far to arrive on your plate, so it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contributes to improving our carbon footprint. It benefits the local economy, including supporting local farmers and other producers.

Healthier ecosystems

Local farms that use sustainable practices may boost biodiversity, protect pollinators that are vital to healthy ecosystems, and promote clean air, water, and soil (6). Local foods yield less pollution and waste due to their minimal — or complete lack of — packaging, processing, and transportation.

The Philippines started to recognize the importance of this farming practice in 2005 as seen in the passage of the Republic Act 10068 or the Promotion and Development of Organic Agriculture in the Philippines, which provided government support to this sector.

What is the current situation of organic farming in the Philippines? ›

As of today, there are 39,466.81 hectares devoted for organic agriculture in the whole region with 7,586 practitioners.

4,500 to 4,000 years ago.

The Philippines is an important agricultural country. Both its plant and animal resources are main contributors to the country's Gross National Product. The main farm products are rice, maize, coconut, and sugar. Usually, Rice is the major staple food of the country's human population.

Natural resources play a critical role in the Philippine economy, as agriculture, fisheries, and forestry represent about 10 percent of gross domestic product and account for almost 30 percent of employment.

Investments in rural infrastructure will benefit producers, traders, and the rural population through better transport infrastructure, reduced travel time, and improved access to markets.

Local businesses not only pay their employees, they also spend money at other local businesses. That means by buying local, you help create jobs for your friends and neighbors, contribute to improved public infrastructure, and invest in your community both socially and economically.

Helps preserve our culture

Buying them helps their business to continue as well as their creative professions which are a part of our culture.

Food that is grown closer to home will therefore have fewer transportation emissions associated with it, and also be fresher and support local farmers. And as the distance food travels decreases, so does the need for processing and refrigeration to reduce spoilage.”

Agriculture dominates Philippine economy. It furnishes employment to about 3 million persons or about 60 per cent of the gainfully employed workers. Agricultural operations provide 40 to 45 per cent of the total national income and about 75 to 80 per cent of the country's exports.

What is the most common problem of farmers in the Philippines? ›

The lack of storage facilities, farm-to-market roads, and equipment needed to prevent losses from exposure, pests, and natural deterioration have been perennial issues for Filipino farmers.

In addition to the advantage in freshness, growers who cater to local customers aren't constrained by harvesting, packing, transport, and shelf life quality issues. Instead, they have the freedom to select, grow, and harvest their produce. Thus they can ensure the highest qualities of freshness, nutrition, and taste.

Agriculture impacts society in many ways, including: supporting livelihoods through food, habitat, and jobs; providing raw materials for food and other products; and building strong economies through trade. Source: The Balance Small Business.

From banks and ball fields to auto shops and equipment suppliers, farmers keep rural communities in business, thriving and planting seeds for the next generation.

- Local farming tend to use less carbon-intensive transportation methods to get their products to market. - Local farming also tend to use fewer pesticides and herbicides, as well as less water overall. - Buying from local farms help to support the farmers and the community alike.

Using the local environment enables children to develop a sense of belonging to the local community. It helps them to develop a sense of place which in turn will develop their feelings of security, and “strong bonds to a particular place endure” (Hay, 1998 in Jack, 2010).

Our study also found that non-crop biodiversity increases with decreasing farm size, with 77% of studies finding that smaller farms have greater biodiversity at both farm and landscape scales.

The lack of storage facilities, farm-to-market roads, and equipment needed to prevent losses from exposure, pests, and natural deterioration have been perennial issues for Filipino farmers.

What is the issue about farmers in Philippines? ›

The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority bear this out, with the 2021 poverty statistics showing that farmers and fisherfolk remain the poorest in the Philippines. Fisherfolk had the highest poverty incidence of 30.6 percent, followed by farmers with 30 percent.

The farmers' rights are the following: (1) support to the price program; (2) ensure market; (3) be covered with social security; (4) avail of credit system at minimal interest rates and minimum collateral requirements; (5) avail of farm inputs and services; (6) be heard and represented in the government; (7) be updated ...

Due to the removal of state controls on agriculture-related commodities, the prices of agricultural inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers, etc. also increase drastically. Inadequate investment in infrastructure likewise add to the problems.

In the agriculture sector, water management is the best way to improve productivity. You can increase yields by up to 50% by using a sprinkler irrigation system. Also, manufacturing canals provide better irrigation to protect crops from tube wells.

The government has recognized the declining contribution of the agricultural sector in the country's GDP and this drop in its performance is attributed to its vulnerability towards extreme weather events (drought and typhoons), infestations (coconut scale insects), and poor adoption of high-yielding varieties at the ...

One of the major farmers problems has to be the loss of agricultural land, as when more land is lost, it becomes increasingly difficult to produce the right volume of food required to feed the entire population.

Challenges identified were lack of important provisions that will guarantee food security and reduce poverty in the countryside, lack of programs that will link agriculture with the industry, and insufficient activities aimed to vigorously transfer advanced production, post-harvest, and processing technologies to the ...

MANILA – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr plans to address a continuing surge in prices of basic commodities in the country by importing more agricultural produce in 2023.

Filipino farmers fight to preserve their role in building a climate-resilient food system and to defend peasants' right to make the land productive for their families and for the country. They advocate for the redistribution of land so landless peasants can attain food sovereignty and food security.

Teodoro said the government should help in developing smart agriculture as well as research and development to increase farmers' productivity and improve agricultural produce. He also supports building more farm-to-market roads to lower logistics costs in delivering farm produce to markets.

Why is rice so important in the Philippines? ›

It is a grain crop that has historical and cultural significance. In fact, it is commonly associated with many rituals, traditions and cultural practices in the country and are deeply woven in Filipino culture for years in different areas of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. A Filipino meal cannot be complete without rice.

As of the second quarter of 2020, the agricultural production status in the Philippines managed to grow 0.5 percent. 5.0 percent growth in production. It shared 53.7 percent of the total agricultural output, where palay went up by 7.1 percent and corn by 15.4 percent.

The 2019 GVA in AFF at constant prices grew by 1.2 percent, higher than the 1.1 percent increment in 2018. Agricultural crops posted another decline in GVA at 2.0 percent from the negative growth of 0.7 percent in the previous year.

The main advantage of intensive farming is its increased performance when higher yields are harvested from smaller territories. This brings economic benefits to landowners and provides food for the growing population. Intensive agriculture fully satisfies the market demand even in densely inhabited areas.