Integrated Urban Organic Farming

Food Sustainability Initiative in Urban Communities in National Capital Region 

This essay is a discussion on the Integrated Urban Organic Farming Project initially implemented PLAN International in selected barangays in the National Capital Region. Said communal farms are managed by the PLAN’s Community Support Groups in the said areas, and will serve as a resource hub for individual families in the said barangays, with the end in mind of providing livelihood and savings opportunities for the beneficiaries.

For the said project, PLAN, through Muslim Aid Philippines, were able to established three (3) integrated urban organic farms in the above barangays,having components like mushroom production facility, aquaponics facility and an integrated organic farming in its designated farm site. 

This report particularly showcases the trainings/workshops and technical assistance provided by Muslim Aid Philippines to CSG members and other members of the communities during and after the implementation of the above-mentioned project. The report also includes the findings made by MAPh’ Community Farm Technicians during their monitoring, especially in the area of farm lot assessment and preparation and the actual installation of farm equipment and implements.

It is worthwhile to note that prior to the execution of the Project, all of the identified barangays practice some components of the project. 

In Bagong Silangan, Quezon City for example, majority of the CSG members has their own garden intended for household consumption. In Valenzuela, the barangay local government unit of Ugong has a dedicated Materials Recovery Facility where a garden of vegetables and ornamental plants is installed. Meanwhile, in Potrero, Malabon, the local government unit has implemented a greening program where portions of idle lands are planted with vegetables and medicinal plants. These practices facilitated CSG’s appreciation on the project, eventually leading to their full support and enthusiasm. Muslim Aid Philippines sees the communities’ prior knowledge on gardening and animal-raising as an opportunity for shared learning between MAPh and the CSG members.

The Integrated Urban Organic Farming Project is a composite capacity-building project of various components for urban farming. Specifically, these components include Skills-based urban farming, which includes the production of organic fertilizers and pesticides; Mushroom culture trainings; Animal Husbandry and Aquaponics. 

During the period of project implementation, the intended participants cum beneficiaries underwent trainings on topics about the above components. Said trainings are composed of both theoretical and practicum courses, to offer optimum learning, both at actual farm sites and at their own prospect community farms.

Gauging from these objectives, the project is set to capacitate memebrs of the community support group under PLAN’s MOVE-UP project, which in the long run would provide wider opportunities for accessing agricultural development opportunities. Part of the said urban farming project is the installation and setting up of Urban Demo Farm. The said Urban Demo Farm will consist of Communal and Household integrated farming systems, which is intended to become sources of livelihood and food augmentation identified poorest households. 

Conclusion

On paper, the Integrated Urban Organic Farming project is generally a capacity-building project for identified Community Savings Group (CSG) leaders and members, under the Moving-Up Project Consortium of various INGOs, which includes PLAN International.

As a capacity-building project, beneficiary-partners on the ground where focused on actual trainings, demonstrations, fieldwork and lectures on Skills Based Urban Farming, Gardening (Vertical, Horizontal, wall, container, open space), Fertilizer Production and Application, Pesticides Production and Application, Mushroom Culture, Aquaponics and Animal Husbandry. On top of these trainings were actual coaching and field-based mentoring by Muslim Aid’s Philippines’ Community Farm Technicians. Also integrated in the said project is the provision of Agri-Infrastructure Construction (Animal Cage, Vertical Garden Stall Collapsible, Solar Panel, Floating Garden) to the designated farm lots in Quezon City, Valenzuela City and Malabon.

The Project is a viable jumping board for future endeavors, especially in the area of actual food security and hunger mitigation. While the said project focused mainly on capacity building, it may be considered as a favorable gateway for expanded urban farming in all of the urban centers in Metro Manila. A considerable preparation has been made for the benefit of the MOVE-UP sites, which basically needs mentoring and actual logistical support, come the ending of the MOVE-UP project and the Integrated Urban Organic Farming project.

Meanwhile, the MOVE-UP project, which is basically pre-existent of the Integrated Urban Organic Farming Project, already has coordination mechanisms and implementation structures starting from the Consortium, leading to the projects program manager, down to the Results Officers of each barangay or city, down to the Community Savings Groups (CSGs). On the other hand, Muslim Aid Philippines has a Country Director who oversees the project and is supported by its Community Farm Technicians.

These institution-based coordination mechanisms between PLAN and Muslim Aid Philippines could have been maximized to further strengthen the execution of the project. Certainly, the schedule, safety and local concerns of the CSGs are of primordial concern and that tasks and responsibilities for the project may be treated secondary. However, due to the limited time-frame for project execution, the CSGs and both PLAN and MAPh’s field personnel have innovated coordination mechanisms to compensate the delayed project components. 

General Recommendations

 Baselining/Endlining and Data gathering and Monitoring Systems

For the actual planting and project replication, it is strongly suggested that implementers take into consideration actual baselining of various project variables like number of expected beneficiaries and partners, actual dimension of proposed sites, a list of vegetable or farm animals to be deployed to farm sites.

Likewise, there should be an interim and post project montoring system. This will enable implemenetors some valid and precise data on the status of the inputs provided by PLAN-MAPh. Similarly, implementors may implement a system and technology that would enable them to monitor and assess the status of these project variables in realtime. MAPh proposes to adapt an android based system for the monitoring and actual generation of data in real-time.

2.      

   

Coordination mechanism

While the institution-based coordination mechanism (separate for PLAN and MAPh) did fairly for the smooth implementation of the project, it is proposed that a centralized coordination mechanism be established. This could be done by pooling in representatives from both institutions which will act as a central coordinating body for ground workers, be it from PLAN or MAPh. ALL information pertaining to project implementation will be received and delivered by the said body, to maintain the veracity of information. This can be a venue for clearing the flow of information within the project. 

Seed banking

Seed banking process is actually after the actual farming/gardening phase. For the interest of replication and propagation, it is highly encouraged that each farm site should have a seed bank where seeds of different plants are stored and processed, so that it could be given to other households who would like to practice family-based farming.

It is worthwhile to note that despite the limited spaces and oppurtunities to urban settlers, there are still initiatives being udnertaken by both locl and international players when it comes to food security and cliamte change adaptation. Policies and laws in the Philippine context should only be enforced to sustain these intiatives, and the communities of can, despite of the lurking social ills, may in their own capacities initiate food production. Sa ganitong paraan, mababawasan na ang kagutuman ng mga maralitang taga-lungsod.