Executive Director of the IRDF, Arze Glipo, discusses the organisation's strategies towards sustainable agriculture and food sovereignity. The needs and recommendations for future work are also highlighted. HESA-SIANI August 2017 Philippines Workshop

1. INTEGRATED RURAL DEVELOPMENT
FOUNDATION: WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES
TOWARDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND RURAL
TRANSFORMATION
Arze GLIPO, Executive Director, Integrated Rural
Development Foundation (IRDF).

2. MAIN CHALLENGES FACING
SMALLHOLDERS
1. Low productivity - insufficient capital and inputs, lack water and irrigation, poor quality of seeds,
low farm rmechanization,etc.
2. Landlessness and insecure tenure remain,
3. Corporate control of agriculture and food systems
4. Trade liberalization and privatization policy has removed protection and support to domestic
agriculture
5. Lack of jobs in the rural areas – increasing rural unemployment, migration and poverty
6. Land use conversion in the context of increasing corporate investments in agriculture (15,000-
20,000 hectares converted annually
7. Climate change impacts and environmental degradation
8. Weak agricultural extension due to lack of funds, devolution and misprioritization on the part of
LCEs.

3. TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEM : WORKING
TOWARDS FOOD SOVEREIGNTY AND
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
FOOD SOVEREIGNTY (as defined during the 2007 Nyeleni Forum)
The right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically
sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems.
It offers a strategy to resist and dismantle the current corporate trade and food regime, and
directions for food, farming, pastoral and fisheries systems determined by local producers and
users.
Food sovereignty prioritizes local and national economies and markets and
empowers peasant and family farmer-driven agriculture, artisanal fishing, and food
production, distribution and consumption based on environmental, social and
economic sustainability.
Food Sovereignty is based on developing sustainable agro-ecological food
system. It aims to support farmer-led, bottom up approach through
methodologies that build on innovation, practices and cooperation among
farmers and producers.

4. FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
EMPOWERMENT OF FARMERS/FISHERFOLKS - CONTROL
AND OWNERSHIP OF LAND, SEEDS, INPUTS, WATER AND
OTHER PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES
PRODUCTION DISTRIBUTION CONSUMPTION
Food Availability
and Sufficiency
Physical Access
Economic and
Social Access
Utilization
Strengthening Farmers’
Cooperatives/People’s
Organizations in Production,
Distribution and Market Linkages
Policy, Support Services,
Institutional Reforms,
R&D
Education, Lifestyle
Change, Health, Socio-
cultural factors

5. IRDF’S PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES –
contributing to the realization of FOOD
SOVEREIGNTY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
1. ORGANIZING AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION – INCLUDES BUILDING OF NETWORKS LIKE THE TASK
FORCE FOOD SOVEREIGNTY, ASIA-PACIFIC NETWORK FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY, NATIONAL
MOVEMENT FOR FOOD SOVEREIGNTY
2. POLICY ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGNS – AGRICULTURE AND TRADE POLICIES (RICE QR, INCREASING
SUPORT TO SMALL FARMERS, IRRIGATION, WTO/BILATERAL/REGIONAL FTAS/ASEAN INTEGRATION),
AGRARIAN REFORM AND LAD USE POLICY, CLIMATE JUSTICE
3. PROMOTION OF SUSTAINABLE FARMING TEHCNOLOGIES - ESTABLISHMENT OF TECHNO-
DEMONSTRATION FARMS, TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING OF FARMER COOPERATORS/OA
PRACTITIONERS
4. BUILDING CAPACITIES OF FARMER ORGANIZATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE
5. BUILDING RESILIENT COMMUNITIES – LIVELIHOOD REHABILITATION, STRENGTHENING DRR/CCA
CAPACITIES OF LGUS AND COMMUNITIES
6. BUILDING ALLIANCES WITH NGAs, LGUs, CSOs, ACADEME and STATE UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
– POLICY ADVOCACY, DISSEMINATION OF TECHNOLOGIES AND CAPACITY-BUILDING

6. Organizing and Social Mobilization
PROVINCE # MUNICIPALITY # BRGYS # MEMBERS # LEADERS # WOMEN
Isabela 1 2 51 7 18
Nueva Vizcaya 1 6 346 29 136
Nueva Ecija 3 6 124 22 48
Aurora 1 7 (8 PO) 1953 80
Laguna 3 13 (13 PO) 628
Batangas 1 4 (3 PO) 183
Sorsogon
Farmers (BIGKIS) 10 122 3100 784
Fishers (ALPAS) 8 70 1816 475
Women (GABAY) 6 85 2788 633 2788
North Cotabato
Farmers 3 34 953 168
Women 2 9 236 92 328
TOTAL 39 358 12178 2290 3318

7. Coalitions/ Alliances Scope/Covered Area
Issues and Concerns
TFFS – Mindanao Mindanao Food sovereignty and protection of the gains of agrarian reform against land grabbing
and land consolidation by the economic elite
TFFS – Nueva Ecija Nueva Ecija Food sovereignty and protection of the gains of agrarian reform against land grabbing
and land consolidation by the economic elite
Task Force Food
Sovereignty (TFFS)
National Was transformed into the NMFS
National Movement
for Food Sovereignty
National A cross-sectoral movement united to actively resist globalization and neo-liberalism in
food and agriculture and build solidarity across sectors

8. Promoting Sustainable Farming Systems
and Practices
A. Showcasing Climate Resilient Technologies in coconut farms
Showcasing of climate-adaptive organic agriculture technologies for vegetable and rice production;
Production and Multiplication of vegetable seeds (OPV)
Production of organic fertilizers and botanical pesticides ;
On-the-job mentoring of farmers on the actual application of climate-adaptive farming technologies
B. Promoting diversified farming systems through demonstration of technologies and training of
farmer cooperators ( 2 hectare farm in Sorsogon supported by the DA)
C. Working with LGUs to mainstream Climate Field School curriculum to include topics on
Sustainable agriculture concepts and principles, organic farming, livestock production, and farm
planning in the context of climate change.
D. Organic farming practitioners have formed local seed networks that promote seed
exchange, improvement and multiplication through active networking


9. Farmer-led Technology Development and
Promotion - Hands-on Training on Organic
Farming

11. Farmer Cooperators of IRDF conducting
awareness raising on organic agriculture and
environmental activism among young people

13. Needs in Advancing Farmer-Led SA
Technology development and promotion
1. NEED TO SUPPORT CONTINUING CAPACITY-BUILDING OF FARMER TECHNICIANS/SA
COOPERATORS – FARMERS ARE A SOURCE OF LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION AND
EXPERTISE, THEY CAN BE RELIED UPON TO COMPLEMENT LOCAL EXTENSION SERVICES
2. LGU EXTENSION SYSTEM, WHICH OFTEN IS EXTREMELY LACKING AND CONSTRAINED BY LACK
OF FUNDS MAY NEED TO INCLUDE AND CERTIFY FARMER COOPERATORS AS PART OF THE
SYSTEM
3. SUPPORTING INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT OF CSO/PO MANAGED TECHNO
DEMO FARMS, GRADUATE FROM PILOTING STAGE
4. BUILDING LINKAGES WITH SCHOOLS AND SUC TO DEVELOP AND INCLUDE CURRICULUM
DEVELOPMENT IN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE/ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE BASED ON
INCLUSIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH FARMER’S ORGANIZATIONS, CSOS, ENTREPRENEURS TO
INCORPORATE THE LESSONS AND INNOVATIONS ON THE GROUND

14. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRENGTHENING
COOPERATION AMONG CSOs, SUCs, NGAs
and LGUs FOR HAE
1. BASIC EDUCATION – INCLUDEi in CURRICULUM CONCEPT OF AGRO-ECOLOGY AND
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES
2.DEFINE RESEARCH AGENDA OF SUCs together with LGUs and CSOs
3. ORGANIZE CONSULTATIONS TO DETERMINE, NEEDS, GAPS AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR
COOPERATION – RESEARCH, EXTENSION, POLICY ADVOCACY