Highlight of Solidagro program in the Philippines
Dec 28, 2022
In 2022, the Philippine partners have embarked on engaging the youth in promoting agroecology. The involvement of young people in agroecology is crucial because they are the ones who will face the worst effects of climate change and environmental destruction.
Youngsters are on the frontline of climate change movements all over the world. Through the agroecology learning farms, we aim to improve the capacity of the youth to learn and apply agroecological principles focusing on participative research, knowledge co-creation and exchanges. By focusing on the youth, we strive to empower them to effectively participate in promoting agroecology and in the transformation of the food systems, in general.
Two exemplary projects:
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CCNCI’s Farmers’ Field Day at the Bicol Farmers’ School (BFS) in Legazpi City, Albay
October 29, 2022 - CCNCI’s Farmers’ Field Day at the Bicol Farmers’ School (BFS) in Legazpi City, Albay
After three months of planting the rice in the trial farm, the students are required to study the 50 different rice varieties to be able to determine which of these varieties will thrive well in the particular farm. Other groups joined the students in scientific process of gathering, collecting, collating and analyzing the data. Data to be collected in each rice variety include: plant height, number of panicles, the number of seeds per panicle, the number of viable seeds per plant.
The youth from NNARA-Youth (National Network of Agrarian Reform Advocates-Youth) and NCCP (National Council of Churches in the Philippines) volunteered to join the Farmers’ Field Day to help the BFS students get samples from the field, gather and collect, and collate the data. In this table, 50 varieties are listed. The data needed are recorded in this table. After the recording, all those who are involved will determine which variety is the most favorable.
2. Field day in Tanday City: marcotting and planting fruit trees
FLCCI (Farmers Learning Center – CARAGA, Inc.) is a member and project partner of PNFSP. One of the target beneficiaries of the learning center of FLCCI and PNFSP is the diocesan youth or the catholic pastoral youth. Their activities focused on sustainable agriculture and agroecology. The Diocese of Tandag City is supportive of FLCCI’s learning farms.
Tree planting and short course on marcotting. Marcotting is a method of plant propagation that involves taking small sections of living bark from an existing tree and grafting them onto the rootstock of another.
At the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Mabua, Tandag City, the youth planted fruit trees around the premises.
