MAHILUM, JENNINE/ OVI-2/ REACTION PAPER 1 - SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE/ JUNE 27, 2024

MID-TERM PAPER: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN THE PHILIPPINES

There are a number of strong messages that one may get from the CAWT
(Conservation Agriculture with Trees) documentary on Conservation Agriculture with
Trees. With a growing Filipino population, comes the challenges brought about by
decreasing farmland areas. The scarcity in land has squeezed farmers into strict
farming measures that increase yield in the short term but at an absolute cost to the
environment in the long term. The documentary presents CAWT as a sustainable and
innovating solution to such issues by putting forward practices that are environmentally
friendly yet productive (World Agroforestry, 2015).

CAWT involves reduced tillage, soil covering by an organic cover, and

diversification of crops. This practice not only reduces the erosion of the soil but also
increases its fertility, resulting in greater yields in crops. The film therefore very strongly
calls for enlightenment to be brought to farmers on such sustainable ways of agriculture,
demonstrating institutional involvement, such as the World Agroforestry Center, working
with local and international partners in promoting CAWT (World Agroforestry Centre,
n.d.).
Illustration No.1: Problem Tree Analysis
A good Problem Tree Analysis shows
that the central problem is a decline in
agricultural productivity with associated
environmental degradation. The causal
problems are rising population pressure and
unsustainable farming practices. The
immediate effects of this are very high rates
of soil erosion as well as reduced crop yields,
and food insecurity and environmental
degradation in the future. It is in the
identification of these problems and their
causes that the implementation of potential
solutions like CAWT, farmer capacity building,
and institutional coordination will be sought. CAWT entails minimal soil disturbance,
retention of soil cover, and diversification of crops. These directly result in reduced soil
erosion, increased fertility, and raised crop yields that provide a sustainable solution for
the agricultural predicaments of the Filipino farmers (Conservation Agriculture | Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, n.d.).

Proposed solutions in the documentary show several links to United Nations

Sustainable Development Goals. Increased crop yields from CAWT provide higher food
security, hence work towards zero hunger, that is, SDG 2. Secondly, this practice also
helps in climate action, SDG 13, by soil conversation and carbon sequestration; hence,
the processes in land degradation that facilitate climate change are curbed. Thirdly, it
advances SDG 15, Life on Land, as it promotes sustainable land use experiences that
can effectively safeguard and restore terrestrial ecosystems (THE 17 GOALS |
Sustainable Development, n.d.).

It has also presented some important aspects of sustainable development. It

shows agriculture, education and capacity building, and collaborative partnership.
Agriculture has been depicted as sustainable through the adoption of CAWT practices,
which maintained the health and productivity of the soil. Emphasis was laid on
education and capacity building by training sessions and field demonstrations that had
been offered to farmers, thereby giving them knowledge and capacities of how to adopt
sustainable practices. Involvement plays toward collaborative partnerships in supporting
and promoting sustainable agriculture among the different stakeholders (World
Agroforestry, 2015).

On a personal note, one can apply the use of organic matter to cover soil and
improve fertility in the way of personal gardening. It is easy to administer on which
enormous benefits lie to improve and create fertility in soils. At the community level,
LGUs at the barangay or village level can help in promoting CAWT practices by having
community-based training. These trainings can be conducted to allow the local farmers
to learn about the sustainable techniques of farming and facilitate them with the
resources to adopt such practices.
 At local/municipal or local/city levels, policies to promote sustainable agriculture
could be adopted by governments, specifying incentives for farmers to practice CAWT
and research and development work on sustainable farming methods. The provincial
and national levels contribute fundamentally in terms of resource allocation toward the
large-scale introduction of CAWT and developing the effective policy environment
necessary for doing sustainable agriculture (THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable
Development, n.d.)

The general message of this documentary identifies the pressing need to bring
sustainable agriculture practices to the Philippines. If integrated with CAWT and
education among farmers, coupled with institutional and individual partnering, these can
effect huge changes in soil fertility, crop yields, and environmental sustainability. To
guide these methods, aligned with the UN SDGs, makes such actions holistic for
tackling food security and climate change issues. Concerted action at personal,
community, and governmental levels can lead to an agricultural system that is workable
for both farmers and the environment.
REFERENCES

Conservation Agriculture | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (n.d.).
https://www.fao.org/conservation-agriculture/en/
World Agroforestry. (2015, July 8). Conservation Agriculture with Trees in the Philippines: A
Documentary [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHwZ0ok4Ngo
THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. (n.d.). https://sdgs.un.org/goals