Sustainable Agriculture in the Philippines

Issue Date

11-2008

Abstract

Because of flooding and saline water intrusion, farmers initiated the strategy of empoldering (increasing the height and width of dikes). In view of this, the study pursued how farmers implemented sustainable agricultural technique of empoldering that brought more socio-economic opportunities and household food security to farming families. The study was conducted in Barangay Sua, Masantol, Pampanga, Philippines through immersion, surveys, field trials, actual observations and focused group discussions with farmers. Results revealed that empoldering created an upland microenvironment, improved accessibility to irrigation water, integrated fish into the rice crop, served as seedbed, improved the sustainability of rice production, impounded fresh water and increased utilization of farm resources. All these characterized the rice + fish + vegetable crops production system. The system showed profound socio-economic impact on household food security of farming families through increased income, food availability and quality, greater employment opportunities and other benefits. The system could enable the farmers to realize their goals in farming.

Contributors

Geographer Sarah Wright Journal of Sustainable Agriculture Damasa Magcale-Macandog et al.

Source or Periodical Title

Journal of Sustainable Agriculture

Volume

31

Issue

3

Page

111-131

Document Type

Article

Language

English

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