Climate adaptive practices, key to long-term growth of farming, fishing communities

(Second of two parts)

To combat drought that often plague these communities, we helped them identify climate-resilient indigenous crops they could harvest regardless of the season. We established community learning farms, where they can train on sustainable agricultural techniques using new farming tools.

We empowered fishing communities by helping them understand that they are stakeholders in longevity of fishing sites. Through regular coastal clean-up and mangrove reforestation, and by teaching them waste segregation, they built habits on keeping these bodies of water clean to ensure the freshest catch.

Those who formerly practice “dynamite fishing” became a part of “bantay-dagat” (protect-the-sea) initiatives, like zero waste practices, mangrove rehabilitation, and safeguarding spawning areas. They now understand the need for vigilance to continue getting livelihood from the seas.

In 2018, we saw big changes in the communities we’ve reached, the biggest of which was the change in their attitude towards increased productivity. The increased volume of produce that they are now slowly harvesting, developing, and marketing has encouraged them to carry on. With this changed mindset and equipped with the adequate technical knowledge, these farmers and fisher folk are facing a better and more sustainable future.

We do realize, however, that our work has just begun.

PhilDHRRA is the Agriculture and Fisheries cluster lead at Zero Extreme Poverty 2030 (ZEP 2030), a collective movement that aims to help one million extremely poor Filipino families nationwide. ZEP 2030 calls on non-profit institutions, corporate foundations, and advocacy groups to join their cause of eradicating extreme poverty in the Philippines by the year 2030. To know more about ZEP 2030 and its activities, please visit http://zeropovertyph.net/. – Caridad Corridor, Agriculture and Fisheries cluster lead, Zero Extreme Poverty 2030.