Philippine agriculture is at a crossroads. The path we've been on, industrial food production, is a dead end. It damages air, water and soil, harms rural communities, and limits future productivity.
There is a better way. Scientists call it agroecological farming. I call it healthy farms. Healthy farms can be just as productive as industrial farms, but they're better for the environment, the economy, and the people who grow (and eat) food.
A healthy farm practices sustainable agriculture. A healthy farm produces high quality meat, milk and eggs. Recognizing that productivity, while indispensable, is not the farm's sole objective. As well as providing food, the farm also performs important social, economic and environmental functions.
A healthy farm is a thriving business that provides a good living and fair working conditions to those who work on it, and contributes to a robust local and regional economy.
A healthy farm maintains the fertility of the soil and the health of the surrounding landscape for future generations. Incorporating a wide variety of crops, land use choices, and options for raising livestock and poultry.
A healthy farm practices stewardship. Provides training programs and services that develop skills and knowledge in sustainable farming, crop production- from seed to market, small scale farm management, livestock management, soil science and the environment.
