Uncovering changing prescriptions and practices around organic agriculture in Metro Manila, the Philippines

Sahakian, Marlyne; Leuzinger, Tiphaine; Saloma, Czarina

doi:10.1080/21683565.2017.1284173

Cited by 8 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Given the accumulating empirical evidence that smallholder organic rice systems outperform their conventional counterparts, and given the persistence of an organic movement in the Philippines that recently gained some institutional support (Sahakian et al, 2017;Salazar, 2014), why do organic systems occupy such a small fraction of the agricultural landscape?…”

Section: Key Finding 1: Organic Rice Systems Exhibit Greater Resilienmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Advocates believed that organic agriculture was capable of addressing the social, economic, and political root causes of food insecurity and inequity by reducing dependence on capital-intensive chemical inputs, restoring sociocultural processes (e.g., bayanihan [communal work] and farmer-to-farmer exchange), and facilitating self-sufficiency and farmer empowerment through increased farmer control over agricultural resources (Bachmann, Cruzada, & Wright, 2009;Frossard, 2002;Olano, 1993;Sanchez, 2011). Efforts to promote organic agriculture recently gained institutional support, first among local governments that passed ordinances in support of organic agriculture (Aruelo, n.d;Salazar, 2014), and later culminating with the passing of the 2010 Organic Agriculture Act (Republic Act 10068) (Sahakian, Leuzinger, & Saloma, 2017;Salazar, 2014). The act mandated local government units to put in place their own organic programs and establish a technical working group to oversee the promotion of organic agriculture (National Organic Agriculture Board [NOAB], 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Enhancing Smallholder Resilience: Organic Transition, Place-based Knowledge, and Local Resource Generation

Heckelman

2019

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

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Rice systems are of particular significance to building climate resilience in the Philippines. This research brief summarizes a case study that comparatively measures differences in climate resilience between organic and conventional rice systems in four neighboring villages in Negros Occidental Province, as well as explores features of smallholder rice systems that are significant to building resilience. Data were collected through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and participant observation. A participatory approach was applied to account for socioecological context and to identify targeted interventions for enhancing climate resilience based on local conditions and farmer experiences. The results indicate that (a) of the participating rice systems, organic systems exhibit greater resilience than their conventional counterparts; (b) the current institutional arrangement prevents smallholders from transitioning to organic; and (c) a polycentric food sovereignty development approach helps Philippine smallholders overcome these institutional barriers, as well as builds smallholder capacities for resilience by supporting place-based knowledge and resource generation. More effort is needed to explore, analyze, and strengthen such polycentric food sovereignty interventions for climate change.

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Section: Key Finding 1: Organic Rice Systems Exhibit Greater Resilienmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Smallholder Resilience: Organic Transition, Place-based Knowledge, and Local Resource Generation

Heckelman

2019

J. Agric. Food Syst. Community Dev.

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“…The prospects are moderately positive, but “a more proactive government” is warranted “that can steer various stakeholders toward clear alternatives, and provide the policies, institutions and resources that are needed to move forward” (Salazar ). Also, a focus that is not exclusively oriented to export market, but also to Philippine citizens would make organic agriculture more inclusive (Sahakian and others ). Coastal communities engaged in fishing and growing seaweed are slightly better off than coconut farmers, but they are still living in (near) poverty and are vulnerable to shocks.…”

Section: Adaptive Livelihood Trajectoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Primary Sector Value Chains, Poverty Reduction, And Rural Development Challenges In The Philippines

Andriesse

2018

Geographical Review

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The insertion of Philippine agriculture and fisheries into global value chains has not contributed significantly to rural poverty reduction, in contrast to several other Southeast Asian countries. While there are pockets of downstream export successes, upstream actors face persistent precarious conditions. This comparative investigation of the relationships between value chains and rural development fills a gap in the literature on the Philippines. An analysis of four important products affecting at least 3 million households illustrates the need to focus more on upstream value‐chain governance and pro‐poor rural development interventions. This article shows that the integration of livelihoods and value‐chain analyses has the advantage of fleshing out upstream challenges that are relevant for agri/aquabusiness performance, socio‐spatial policies, and refinements of rural development theories. It is unlikely that horizontal coordination/social capital as well as associated upgrading efforts will be effective without a stronger emphasis on vertical coordination and human‐capital formation.

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“…An example of a leverage point comes from documented experiences in specific landscapes where alternative food production practices have challenged the dominant discourse. For example, there are extensive context-specific case studies that adapt practices to improve human and environmental systems through agroforestry, intercropping, organic practices, and participatory farmer learning activities (Carpenter, 2003(Carpenter, , 2010Frei & Becker, 2004;Salazar, 2013;Sahakian et al, 2017;Rambo & Sajise, 1984;Wright, 2014). Lessons from alternative practices demonstrate the critical role that formal farmer governance systems, such as cooperatives and organizations, play in creating opportunities for influencing current policy systems (L4) (Carpenter, 2003(Carpenter, , 2010Wright, 2014).…”

Section: Link Number Process Represented By the Linksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, there is rapid growth in organic practices as well as national policy requirements to have 5% of land cultivated under organic production (Sahakian et al, 2017;Salazar, 2013). Although organic production faces similar risks of monoculture and input dependency as industrial systems, there is growing recognition of the need to address environmental impacts in Philippine agriculture in light of growing population pressures, environmental change, and regional trade agreements (Depositario & Saguiguit, 2014;Desker et al, 2013;Sahakian et al, 2017;Salazar, 2013). Equity issues, such as including marginalized farmer voices in governance processes (L4), are also growing in recognition through focusing on the sovereign right to food among the Philippine population (Government of the Philippines, 2014).…”

Section: Link Number Process Represented By the Linksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Ecology and Food Systems: Insights from the Philippines

Davila¹

2018

HER

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Feeding the world sustainably requires balancing social, economic, and environmental concerns. The food systems concept guides the study of social and environmental processes that influence food and nutrition security. Human ecology conceptually offers insights into the social components of a system and its interaction with environmental change. This paper demonstrates how human ecology helps identify the dominant discourses that influence dominant social drivers in food systems. This is done through documenting the historical legacies of agricultural commodity production systems in the Philippines since Spanish colonization, and the human and ecological implications of this history. The analysis shows the presence of a maladaptive system influenced by market-oriented food security as a dominant discourse. Alternative discourses focused on sovereignty and participation exist in the Philippines, however these are often marginalised from dominant policy and research programs. The paper discusses how weak feedback processes provide possible intervention points in policy or farmer-led activities to explore alternative pathways to food and nutrition security. The paper concludes with highlighting how human ecology offers useful framework for advancing food systems analysis into social, political, and policy dimensions of food activities. Such analysis can help develop new research and policies that require managing the competing discourses of how to achieve sustainable food and nutrition security.

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Uncovering changing prescriptions and practices around organic agriculture in Metro Manila, the Philippines

Cited by 8 publications

References 19 publications

Enhancing Smallholder Resilience: Organic Transition, Place-based Knowledge, and Local Resource Generation

Enhancing Smallholder Resilience: Organic Transition, Place-based Knowledge, and Local Resource Generation

Primary Sector Value Chains, Poverty Reduction, And Rural Development Challenges In The Philippines

Human Ecology and Food Systems: Insights from the Philippines

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