Seeds: The Key To Open Doors

Seeds: The Key To Open Doors

Jun 22, 2022 | Food Sovereignty, Other Partners

In an island close to our country’s capital is the community of the Tau-Buid, one of eight ethnolinguistic groups living on the island of Mindoro. In my short stay amidst the mountains of Mindoro, I have witnessed how people can live a life of generosity and abundance despite not having the conveniences offered by modern civilization.

Mindoro, for those who do not know, is one of the largest and most populous islands in the Philippines, but it also one of the most preserved, both ecologically, and culturally. In fact, a blog post written by Eben Diskin in 2018 refers to Mindoro Island as an “untouched paradise” because of its natural beauty and biodiversity.

It is then, no understatement for me to say that visiting Mindoro was nothing short of a blessing. Living for a few days amongst the rivers, the aged trees, plants unknown to me, the birds singing their enchanting music amidst the backdrop of majestic mountains and blue skies, I am grateful to be granted this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I am a visitor to this place, but for the Tau-Buid, this land is their home and their life. Here “connection” has a very different meaning. There is no WiFi here where people can Google when and how to do agriculture. The Tau-Buid knows it through the traditions passed on to them by their ancestors, and through their experience living amongst nature. They have no need for clocks and calendars to determine which plants will thrive in which season.

The simplicity of living among the Tau-Buid has taught me that there is nothing wrong with pausing in order to savor and appreciate what we have. It is okay to not always get what we want. It has also reminded me that losing a few days of internet does not make me miss out on life.

While some of us worry about what clothes to wear, and what cars to buy, the Tau-Buid remains proud to wear a sheet of cloth as they tread the forest barefoot. While some of us might think that this is because they have no choice, my experience living amongst them shows that this is a choice that they made –  to continue these traditions and sustain their culture.

And as most of society is preoccupied in seeking for “what’s in it for me”, community life here is different. The leaders of the Tau-Buid is preoccupied in search for what is good for their community. They spend their resources to ensure the safety of their family and their community, as well as to protect their cultural heritage, and their land.

It is here where the negative impacts of economic development and the quest for power is pronounced, and clearly the Tau-Buid has long been at the receiving end. In the process, they have learned to become wary of visitors and foreigners.

But I was in good company, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to dine and interact with some of them. I realize that the conversations I had with the Tau-Buid, and the unique process of discovery I experienced in their land was possible only because of seeds.

Enjoying the serenity of Mt. Iglit.

The simplicity of living among the Tau-Buid has taught me that there is nothing wrong with pausing in order to savor and appreciate what we have. It is okay to not always get what we want. It has also reminded me that losing a few days of internet does not make me miss out on life.

While some of us worry about what clothes to wear, and what cars to buy, the Tau-Buid remains proud to wear a sheet of cloth as they tread the forest barefoot. While some of us might think that this is because they have no choice, my experience living amongst them shows that this is a choice that they made –  to continue these traditions and sustain their culture.

And as most of society is preoccupied in seeking for “what’s in it for me”, community life here is different. The leaders of the Tau-Buid is preoccupied in search for what is good for their community. They spend their resources to ensure the safety of their family and their community, as well as to protect their cultural heritage, and their land.

It is here where the negative impacts of economic development and the quest for power is pronounced, and clearly the Tau-Buid has long been at the receiving end. In the process, they have learned to become wary of visitors and foreigners.

But I was in good company, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to dine and interact with some of them. I realize that the conversations I had with the Tau-Buid, and the unique process of discovery I experienced in their land was possible only because of seeds.

Reflecting On Our Visit To Cebu, Discovering Regenerative Agriculture

Reflecting On Our Visit To Cebu, Discovering Regenerative Agriculture

May 4, 2022 | Food Sovereignty, Project Update, Stories from the Field

In late March of 2022, Karen and I went to visit our partner farmers to see how everything is going on the ground. I went there filled with excitement because this is the first time I will be meeting our field partners and farmers personally. 

You see, this trip has been postponed several times due to the recurring lockdowns and surges and COVID cases. This fact, plus the many stories of sorrows and triumphs amid the pandemic and the typhoons have further enhanced my eagerness to meet and engage in conversations with our partners. 

And since we were visiting Cebu just months after Typhoon Odette devastated the province, I came here expecting to hear stories of how this typhoon impacted the farms and the lives of our farmers. I thought it would be a heavy and sympathetic kind of conversation. [Odette made landfall in December 2021. You can read about our response here. You can also read Harry’s reflection on the relief efforts launched during Typhoon Odette.]

Of course in some conversations, farmers were lamenting the impact of the calamity, but I also heard stories of hope and saw first hand how some of them rose from the difficulties. What I expected to be difficult conversations turned inspirational. 

Take for example Gina, who was forced to make do with a small backyard garden after the government retracted ownership of the land she used to farm. Despite the small size of her garden, she is now growing several crops. As of our visit, some of these crops were already flowering and many were ready to grow seeds. 

And then there was Bevs, whose farm was thriving at the time of our visit. In fact, I thought that the typhoon spared her garden, but she told us that she was able to rehabilitate her farm pretty quickly. She says this was because used to run and manage a large farm in Bohol. 

Despite these inspiring stories, however, the evidence of Odette’s force was pretty clear to see. A group of farmers in Pestales, for example, had a difficult experience to tell. The typhoon had disrupted their production because they were unable to use a large portion of the beverage and produce processing area. The roof had been totally wrecked. During  our visit, we were unable to meet their leader, Rodelyn, since she and her team were busy seeking grants to help out in their rebuilding efforts. But just like most of our conversations, the farmers of Pestales were committed to rise back up on their feet. 

Farmer Jon with participants to the regenerative agriculture training.

On March 23, during the latter part of our trip, we went to the north of Cebu where members of our Cebu Seed Savers, some GSSP staff, and the CAFEi team gathered for a training on regenerative agricultural practices at the Arapal Livelihood Center in Bogo City.

The training was given by Jon Sarmiento, a farmer with twenty years of experience using what he called the Integrated Diversified Organic Farming System (IDOFS). 

This system looks at climate change as an urgent situation. Farmer Jon highlighted that humanity has been overly exploiting and abusing the earth for a long period of time and because of this, the climate has drastically changed. This changing climate poses severe challenges to farmers. 

According to Farmer Jon, a farm design using IDOFS should therefore take into account the impacts of farming activities to the environment thus not only thinking of what is happening now but more importantly what activities in the present can impact the future. Underscored in Jon’s talk was the governing principle in his farming practice. 

 

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”

The underlying reason why one would choose to practice IDOFS is their love and commitment to their own family. He recounted his younger years when his farmer parents — both of whom were conventional farmers — would save up the best produce for selling to the market. The rejected produce are the ones left for their family’s table. 

Here, Jon emphasized that in IDOFS, a farmer will choose to apply the best, and most sustainable way of crop production, those that are not laced with chemicals for example, because the purpose for growing food is to feed the family. A farmer that loves his family will choose to grow the best produce by cultivating his farm in the most sustainable way. 

Listening intently to Farmer Jon’s input about IDOFS.

Listening to this, I recalled home. In Banaue where my parents grew up, there stood the majestic Banaue rice terraces, considered one of the wonders of the World. Unlike the other wonders of the world that were built by slavery, the Banaue rice terraces owes its magnificence to the love of our ancestors to their community. 

Our modern world would call the techniques used in the creation of the Banaue Rice Terraces as contour farming – a sustainable farming technique that prevents soil erosion and maintains soil moisture.

But for those of us who hail from Ifugao, this is the most concrete expression of our ancestors’ love and concern for the future generations. Through this example, I was able to understand what Farmer Jon meant by the “guiding principles” of IDOFS. 

CSS at the regenerative agriculture training with Farmer Jon.

Graduation Picture!

Food Sovereignty Launching

Food Sovereignty Launching

Mar 29, 2022 | BASS, Food Sovereignty, Projects

March 15, 2022. This is the day we officially launched  the food sovereignty campaign through the support of our partners from the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS). But for me, who has been with Global Seed Savers Philippines (GSSP) for less than a year, this was an important day for a different reason. It was the first time I personally met the farmers whom I’ve only seen in photos. It was also the first time I came to Tublay, and the first time I experienced first-hand the work of GSSP. I was both excited and anxious, but also, determined to observe and learn the ways of the community.

The activities were pretty simple, with the blessing of the soil and seed as major highlights. We had planned for a ritual to express our gratitude to the land and the seeds that enable our farmers to continue producing food for our communities. And of course, there was a lot of music, dancing, and food! Here are some photos and videos from the event: 

This, however, was not a simple celebration. It was also a coming together of two communities, both devastated by typhoons in the recent past, one that has recovered, the other, still in the process of recovering. A major objective of the activity was to bridge the connection between the farmers of Tublay and the farmers of Cebu. As you may already know, Cebu has recently been devastated by Typhoon Odette. But this is not the first time that farmers in the Philippines have had to rebuild their farms (and lives) after a typhoon. In previous years, it was the farmers of Benguet who needed help. Farmers from Cebu readily sent their seed stocks to help re-enliven the farms of Benguet. Now it is the Benguet farmers’ turn to help Cebu rise up from the devastation of Odette.

Through this event, the farmers of Benguet sent their compatriots from the South, prayers of strength, healing, and nourishment so that they may overcome their current challenges. In one part of the program, Karen, our Philippines Executive Director, asked all attendees to stand and touch the seeds and the soil which was going to be sent to Cebu. She said, this was so we could share our “microbes and microorganisms” to our partner farmers in Cebu.[1]Perhaps in future posts, we will have the opportunity to discuss the microbiome and its connection to agriculture. For now, we hope you read this resource to better understand the value of this … Continue reading This held a lot of meaning for me.

And though simple the entire event was, it led me to a lot of realizations and lessons. For one, it helped me realize how the land, and agriculture in general, represent the interconnectedness of Filipinos. Agriculture and all the traditions and knowledge systems built around it are what makes our communities thrive.

Another realization I had during the activity was this: farmers recovered from the climate disruptions they have experienced in recent years because they have not forgotten the spirit of bayanihan.

“This spirit is indeed the heart and soul of our work at Global Seed Savers! Seeds, seed saving, building a community committed to sustainably feeding itself and resisting the ever growing stronger corporate and chemical take over of our food system, is only possible when done together…in community….with a true spirit of bayanihan!”

 

 

— Sherry Manning, Nourish Celebrates Bayanihan Spirit

As I say these words, I realize that there are so many ideas, concepts, and insights here that would need time and space to unpack. Perhaps, in future articles, we  would be able to expound on these ideas as they appear in the Philippine context. For now, however, I want to center on this one idea: There is so much to be done in terms of food sovereignty in the Philippines, but our communities already have the foundations to make it happen. Our communities have all the elements to make food sovereignty a reality in the country. It is only a matter of utilizing the knowledge we already have, and remembering the power they hold. As I leave Tublay, a single thought echoes in my mind: “The heart of the Filipino is in the right place”. As our world is currently in turmoil, I realize just how valuable this is. Though many of us are caught up in feelings of turmoil and hopelessness, the community and the lessons of the past ensures that our hearts will continue to beat together, in search of a better future.

Finding Beauty After the Storm

Finding Beauty After the Storm

Mar 13, 2022 | Project Update, Stories from the Field

What beauty can we find in the ocean of fallen trees, among the scattered debris of shattered houses? Can we find beauty in the midst of this chaos?
 
As an eye witness to this typhoon it is easy to be swayed when seeing the extensive damages. It is hard not to feel devastated in these situations. This disaster has left many families displaced, some lost their homes and livelihood, while others lost their loved ones. Life has been difficult since the typhoon made landfall nearly 6 weeks ago!
 
However, when the roads re-opened and we were finally able to visit our partner farmers to provide initial relief including: dry goods, water, hygine kits, cash assistance, and solar lights. I was struck by the fact that despite the devastation, our farmers still radiated hope. Our farmers know that like all other storms of the past, they will rise up again. Hope is alive, love is alive, and light is alive. This is the beauty that I saw amidst this disaster.

Together, each of can us can play a small part to help pick up the pieces left scattered by Typhoon Odette. We can help clear the debris and start laying new, and better foundations for a sustainable tomorrow. I am grateful to be doing this through Global Seed Savers response and I hope you will join us in these efforts!
ANG PAGTANOM UG BINHI | The Planting of Seed

ANG PAGTANOM UG BINHI | The Planting of Seed

Mar 3, 2022 | Food Sovereignty, Other Partners, Projects

Exploring the health implications of food sovereignty movements in the Philippines.

We are honored to have launched this collective project that has been many years in the making! The focus of this dynamic collaborative research project is to gather community stories of how connections to food, land, and seeds help individuals heal from historical trauma and build truly sovereign communities with strong health outcomes. Health in the broadest sense including: physical, mental, social, emotional, cultural, the health of the land, etc. 


Dr. Antonia Alvarez is a longtime friend and supporter of GSS and through her vision and leadership for this research, our collective work is underway. Guided by our local Design Team including Karen, our Philippines Executive Director, and Teresa the Executive Director of our partner NGO in Cebu CAFEi, we have been meeting for the last year to organize our vision for this work. Last month we launched the Community Advisory Board composed of 10 dynamic Filipino leaders in the food justice and seed sovereignty movement throughout the country. 

The CAB is made up of food advocates, NGO leaders, professors, doctors, indigenous people, and more. We will be conducting community interviews in the coming months and working with each of these partners to compile the interviews and stories unearthed. We look forward to sharing more as this project progresses. 

This collaboration with Global Seed Savers and CAFEi is a dream come true! For me, this project team centers on the ethic of community care, cultural healing/well-being, and food, which are three of my most beloved things! Each project partner brings with their deep commitment to the work, expertise related to food, health, and healing, and will help to make this project an amazing success. On a personal level, being able to do work back in my ancestral homelands of the Philippines with dear friends and colleagues is an incredibly moving, humbling experience, and especially as we are figuring out how to do this during the complicated times that we are in!

― Dr. Antonia Alvarez, Portland State University, Graduate School of Social Work

Farm Visits, Board Planning and More!

Dec 9, 2018 | Activities, BASS

Imagine a beautiful mountain valley surrounded by pine tree and tropical forested mountains, rice fields lining the riverbank, and a beautiful organic farm just above the road that passes through this magical place! This scene is real and last week during our farm visits with the Benguet Association of Seed Savers (BASS) we spent lunch and a lovely afternoon at Auntie Mary’s beautiful farm tucked away in Tublay Central. It is always grounding and reaffirming to go on farm visits with our dedicated farmer partners during my annual visits to the Philippines. While I recognize the deep importance my fundraising and advocacy away from the farms provides… my favorite days each year are spent in the fields learning, laughing, and sharing best practices with the BASS Members. They are a passionate, knowledgeable, and extremely dedicated group of farmers and each time we spend time together I am reminded of how blessed I am to get to work with each of them!

 

Tublay Central Valley

Tublay Central Valley View from Auntie Mary’s Farm

Auntie Mary’s beautiful organic farm sits along a small riverbed and she is a true organic practitioner having farmed organically the last 15 years, since a personal heath scare during her last child’s birth. She is a new member of BASS and plants a wide diversity of organic crops including okra, lettuce, beans, adlay (a Filipino native grain), and especially exciting is her native corn!! The Philippines is SE Asia largest producer of GMO Corn, with over 800,000 hectares planted around the country. Considering that corn wind pollinates up to 10 km, some studies are starting to show that all the corn in these densely GMO planted areas might be contaminated. It is a real treasure that Auntie Mary has native corn and she is excited to keep growing it out at her isolated farm and share seeds with BASS farmers and our Seed Library in Tublay.

 

 

We also visited BASS Members Fely and Pastor Jun (a new member of BASS and the current President of the Tublay Organic Farmers Association). I have known Fely for many years, since my early Peace Corps days and this was my first time to visit her farm. Set just below the ridgeline of Coroz in Tublay she has a wide and beautiful farm full of coffee (she partners with another NGO to export to Japan) and a wide diversity of vegetables including herbs and squash. We toured the area she had dedicated to saving seeds, but sadly her greenhouse was destroyed in the recent typhoons. We are still formalizing how to share the funds raised to support all the BASS members impacted by the recent typhoons. In total, BASS Farmers suffered over $20,000 USD in damages. To date we have raised just over $2,500 to support their continued recovery and any additional gifts are much appreciated and will go a long way to ensuring BASS Farmers can continue to propagate quality seeds. Donations can be made via our website: https://globalseedsavers.giv.sh/ba3e.

Pastor Jun’s Farm is located one ridgeline North of Fely’s and feels like a hidden gem as you walk the steep pine tree path into the woods and turn a corner to see a magical secret garden. Pastor is new to organic farming but already has a wide diversity of crops including dill, cucumber, carrots, beets, and more. His farm is in a perfect location for our continued seed trials and increased seed production, because it is well isolated and already proving to be fertile land. Pastor is excited to conduct carrot seed saving trails in the coming months and expand his seed saving knowledge as a new member of BASS.

 

 

GSSP Board Retreat and Planning

As you might remember, last year we registered our Philippine Counterpart NGO Global Seed Savers Philippines. It has been a fruitful year for the organization starting to gain local funding support and formalize their board roles and action steps. I have enjoyed getting to help guide this process with the Philippines Board and last week Sunday-Tuesday Karen, Padma (a longtime friend and the GSSP Board President) and I gathered in La Union at the beach for a two-day working retreat. It was the perfect relaxing setting to reflect, make plans, and brainstorm our future and continued growth. Priority topics included: local board development, an assessment of the current strengths on the board and what we are missing, we also laid out ambitions programs plans for the coming three years including:

  • Hosting 6 seed schools in 2019
  • Hosting a Philippines Wide Seed Summit in 2019
  • Launching at least 8 new seed libraries by 2021
  • Hiring more local staff to manage our growth to new regions and more!

It is an honor to be building this organization with Padma and Karen and I am excited to see where 2019 takes us after a fruitful and productive retreat. Also, special shout out to Nash another Philippines Board Member currently getting her Masters Degree in Belgium who joined us via SKYPE for day one of the retreat.

 

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GSSP Board Retreat: Karen, Padma, Sherry, and Nash via Belgium.

 

This has by far been my busiest trip to the Philippines in recent history; between conferences, travel all over the country, new partner development meetings, and lots of time spent with Karen planning, formalizing processes, and reflecting on our last three years of growth and impact! I am excited to head to Sagada tomorrow for some R and R to round off my final week here in the Philippines.

There is so much momentum for Global Seed Savers right now and I am excited to continue to support our Philippines Team and Farmers as we grow and ensure more farmers have access to locally produced non-chemical seeds!

Thank you for following along and all of your support for our work!