Project report

Food security through organic farmingPHILIPPINES , RUN BY: PLAN AUSTRALIA |

STATUS: COMPLETED

A woman farmer in Barangay Guyo grows cabbage in containers.

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AUD 20,001
Raised from 8,746 people
Overview:
This project aimed to educate families about organic crops and alternative farming techniques,
enabling them to grow a diverse range of nutritious organic food to eat and sell. Access to a
greater range of quality food will help to reduce child malnutrition in Northern Samar, which has
the country’s highest child mortality rate.

Project Activities:
Plan has established 20 Farmers Associations and 22 demonstration farms to assist farming
families learn new skills. The farms have also served as ‘laboratories’ where all farming
experiences are shared. Over 500 farmers have received training and have been able to
achieve increased productivity for their root crops.

Distribution of small farm machineries, including hand tractors, also helped to increase farm
productivity.

Plan has established Seed Banks to the 20 Farmers Associations to ensure continuous
collection of locally adoptable seeds and materials for the following season. 

Livestock such as water buffalo, pigs and chickens were provided to the farmers to provide
additional household income and to serve as work animals during land preparation activities.

Adoption of a diversified and integrated farming system has increased family production of
consumption and additional income.
Photo: The women of Las Navas in their communal farm.

Case study: Isabela-Rowena Gancena

Rowena Gancena is 48 years old and married to Julio.  They have 8 children; the eldest is 25
years old while the youngest is 3 years old.  Their main source of livelihood is farming; they own
1 hectare rice field. The family have been part of the Sustainable Livelihoods project.  

“There are a lot of good things that organic farming has given us.  Expenses in our farm work
have been reduced, and I am healed of my sickness.  Before, I always have headache and felt
chest pains.  I thought I will die because I cannot bear the terrible pain.

When my husband was first trying out organic farming, I strongly opposed this because we have
good harvest then from our farms.  I worry that our produce will decrease and there will not be
enough supply for our food.  I was even the one who bought the chemicals that he used in
spraying and did the storing.  I endure the stinky smell of the chemicals because we rely on it in
killing the pests.

However, my husband persisted and continued to shift to organic farming.  True enough, after
so many croppings, our rice harvest was better than before.
After a year of eating organic rice and vegetables I no longer have headaches and felt chest
pains which I have been suffering before.  Maybe this is because of the healthy food that we eat
and not being exposed anymore to chemicals.

Even my children now only eat organic food that we produce because we are sure that it was
not sprayed with chemicals.  We no longer buy vegetables in the market.  My children say that
they don’t easily get hungry when they eat organic food.  My children are healthier now.  They
don’t suffer from diarrhoea like before, and they don’t easily get sick.”

Rowena Gancena

The future of this project

The project will continue through to conclusion in late 2013. The Farmers Associations will be
self managed, but the provincial government of Northern Samar is supporting the local
government in mainstreaming this project.
Photo: Farmers of San Roque sell organic squash during the celebration of Nutrition Month.

Original project proposal

Project objective
1. To increase farm production and child nutritional levels through the adoption of sustainable
farming techniques.

2. To increase the capacity of farmers associations to effectively provide services to their

members.
3. To increase income levels of farmers through marketing of sustainable agriculture products.

What’s covered in project cost?

This funding will go towards training the farmers in sustainable farming techniques.  This
includes training at a farmer training centre, ongoing mentoring and support  on-site at the
farmers’ communal and individual farms, and the provision of farming equipment, seeds and
small livestock. 

Background into the current situation

Infant mortality and child malnutrition are significant problems in the Philippines, particularly in
Northern Samar where 79 of every 1000 children die before their fifth birthday. Most families are
subsistence farmers trapped in poverty by a cycle of poor rice yields and depleted soils, and
crops often damaged by drought, floods and typhoons. Families then become caught in a cycle
of debt as they struggle to feed themselves, let alone pay for school fees and healthcare.

This project educates families about organic crops and alternative farming techniques, so that
they can grow a diverse range of nutritious, organic food to eat and sell. Access to a greater
range of quality food will also help to reduce child malnutrition in Northern Samar, which has the
country’s highest child mortality rate.
Photo: A boy showing his families crop of beans. Through diversifying the types of food
produced families are able to increase production which means better nutrition and more
income.

What is Plan doing?

Plan works through 20 established Farmers Associations to assist farming families to learn new
farming skills. This five-year project will benefit 10,000 families by strengthening the Farmers
Associations and helping farmers to share skills and market their produce. With our support, the
associations have established community demonstration plots to practice what they have learnt
through the project and to introduce other farmers to alternative crops and new techniques that
help to increase crop quality and yield. All association members tend to the plots and share in
the resulting harvest.

Results so far

A mid-term project evaluation revealed that farming families are now enjoying increased
productivity and income. Last year, 543 farmers received training, and we also helped them to
develop annual farming plans so that they can better organise their resources, resulting in more
efficient use of land and maximised productivity.

Each Farmers Association also nominated three members to become para-technicians, with 60
farmers receiving further training on new technologies such as soil and water conservation and
how to produce organic fertilisers for their crops (a non-chemical, healthier and cheaper
alternative). The para-technicians are now responsible for teaching fellow association members
these new techniques and skills.

Raising livestock diversifies farming income

Plan has also assisted farmers to raise livestock such as pigs and chickens, which has provided
families with an additional income source and made them more resilient – for if their crops are
wiped out by floods they still have an income from their livestock.

To ensure farmers are able to use the skills and knowledge they have gained, one of Plan’s
partners provides mentoring and support during regular visits to Farmers Associations.

And as the area is prone to extreme weather conditions, farmers have been encouraged to
introduce durable crops that are more likely to withstand heavy rains and high winds. The
Farmers Associations also established rice demonstration plots where they are now testing
different seeds to select the most appropriate rice type for the area’s unforgiving climate.

Photo: A female farmer learning how to manage the books so she can have a greater return on
investment from her farming activities.