Zarraga Integrated Diversified Organic Farmers Association (ZIDOFA)

An Overview Of Our Solution

The Philippines is in the Coral Triangle and is known as the center of the center of Biodiversity. Yet global warming and climate change has brought to this small island nation stronger typhoons, longer and more intense droughts and unpredictable weather which has disrupted agriculture in a country whose main staple is rice and whose rice industry accounts for 45% of total agricultural livelihood. Can a farmer-initiated and farmer-led regenerative agriculture movement using the organic system of rice intensification (SRI) provide enough impetus to change the way Filipino farmers cultivate rice and bring economic, social and environmental reprieve to an agricultural landscape beset with input-extensive, fossil-fuel dependent and environmentally damaging agricultural practices? The ZIDOFA SRI regenerative agriculture initiative is well on its way to do just that.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Nonprofit

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Population impacted

40,000

Size of agricultural area

2,200 ha

Production quantity

252,000 kilos organic SRI rice per year

People employed

Describe your solution

The core of the project is the practice of organic SRI and the passion and commitment of small-farmers who initiated a regenerative organic agriculture project in a deeply-rooted hotbed of agro-chemical and hybrid rice farming community. Initially converting 14 ha of rice land into organic SRI and expanding to 21 ha in just over a year, ZIDOFA was able to draw the attention of government and like minded individuals and groups. The holistic approach to create a closed-loop organic SRI rice value chain with farmers laying the foundation followed by an exceptional convergence of support from various government agencies after initial funding by private corporations and NGO's was key to success. Organic SRI uses 50% less water, 90% less seeds and by using only organic inputs, a yield increase of 30% or more is gained. Its practice of intermittent irrigation and rotary weeding reduces methane emissions and allows plants to develop substantial root architectures. This allows the SRI rice plant to more efficiently capture and sequester atmospheric and organic carbon by storing them deeper in the soil. The plants are better able to survive floods, droughts and strong typhoons making it a substantial contributor to climate change mitigation and adaptation. Prof. Norman Uphoff on the ZIDOFA solution: "This can establish some new models and concepts for agricultural extension, not top-down, but bottom-up and outward-looking (horizontal diffusion, to use a more formal term)"

Describe your implementation

To ensure a strong organizational base despite the lack of initial funds for large-scale recruitment and training, the core group of small-farmers decided to initially just invite new members who they knew to be already committed to and already practicing organic farming. Subject matter experts in organic SRI and organic agriculture were then invited to conduct trainings and seminars to this inital group to equip them with the skills and knowledge to start organic SRI and be successful at first try. The establishment of the desired closed-loop value chain was approached by seeking solutions for all components simultaneously, achieving true convergence in support from varying agencies of government, private corporations, NGO's and farmers. Technical and operational advise was secured through an international panel of advisers who were invited at the onset of the project after having been appraised of the difficulty in initiating a small-farmer led project in an arena dominated by highly funded agrochemical programs. This lessened the úse of the 'trial and error' approach and increased probability of success for each component of the project. To address the problem of soils which have been heavily decimated by chemicals and fertilizers, the manufacture of bokashi organic fertilizer and Nature Farming Systems served as the most valuable starting point in farmer conversion to organic SRI. Funding and logistical support was attained by submitting project proposals to government agencies and NGO's simultaneously. This was to address the need for a rice dryer, rice mill, agricultural machineries, packaging and labeling equipment as well as for operational funds. Increasing awareness of consumers to the health, economic and environmental benefits of organic SRI pigmented rices was a main component of the project and such advocacy reinforced the project's mission to advocate regenerative organic SRI to not just to farmers but also to consumers.

External connections

ZIDOFA has approached and shared its mission and vision with individuals and organizations both private and public, in the hopes that working together for such an urgent issue as the restoration of fertility of our soils and the diversity of our farming and marine ecosystems. ZIDOFA is closely collaborating with Lotus Foods, Nutiva, Dr. Bronners, SRI International based in Cornell University, Oxfam Germany, Rapunzel and Deutshe Umwelthilfe and SRI-Pilipinas. It is also working with the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) National Organic Agriculture Program on its compliance with organic standards and farm mechanization. ZIDOFA is also collaborating with both the DA and PhilRice Upland Rice Development Program (URDP) for its heirloom seed saving component. Currently, ZIDOFA is also working with IRRI, GIZ and the DA on the nation's first ever field testing of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) under the UNEP and is also pilot testing together with the Philippine Center for Post Harvest Development and Mechanization and the DA, a new village-type compact impeller-driven rice mill. It has also just now received a Grant from the Department of Science And Technology (DOST) for the establishment of a rice mill and procurement of two motorized weeders. It has also just been awarded by the Department of Agriculture with a greenhouse with drip irrigation system for organic vegetable production.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

The 4th class municipality of Zarraga, Iloilo, with a population of 27,000 is a microcosm of the Philippine agricultural community with more than half of its total area of 5,500 hectares devoted to agriculture and 90 percent of this, or 2,200 hectares is cultivated for rice and the remainder for aquaculture and marine industries in the coastal areas. Zarraga sits at the tail-end of an irrigation system and water flow arrives late and by then insufficient for rice planting. This, coupled with climate change events like changing weather patterns, intense and prolonged periods of drought and more intense typhoons, has made rice cultivation a challenge to the Zarraga farmers. Decades of incessant synthetic fertilizer and agro-chemical use has impacted soil biodiversity and fertility resulting in decreasing yields. Finally, fertilizer and chemical runoffs stream destructively into the Jalaur River mangrove forests then into the coastal and marine ecosystems of Guimaras Strait.

Describe the context in which you are operating

With a poverty rate of 24%, Zarraga's proximity to the bustling and progressive city of Iloilo (15 kms away) has not been a benefit to its predominantly agricultural communities. On the other hand, it is among one of the first towns where agrochemical supplies are being delivered and where government subsidized programs sponsored by agrochemical companies are aggressively pushed. Two years ago, hybrid rice programs by the government has convinced rice farmers to convert 200 hectares into hybrid rice cultivation. In 2016, this has increased to 450 hectares, almost 20% of the total rice land area. Rapid urban development has also lured farm laborers to higher paying construction jobs leaving an aging group of farmers (58-60yrs old) left to do the work,

The government's battlecry for "Rice Self-Sufficiency" to address a growing population has resulted in government policies, agricultural extension programs and research efforts catering more towards high-input high-yielding varieties. Farmers have to then apply significantly more agro-chemical inputs just to attain better yields. Finally, middlemen and traders buy paddy rice at very low farmgate prices leaving most farmers in a vicious cycle of debt and chemical dependence.

Promoting organic SRI to restore soil biodiversity and reduce costs in this backdrop is a formidable task considering that there are currently no government programs nor policies which can justify institutionalized support for organic SRI.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

ZIDOFA’s practice of organic SRI has resulted in irrigation water savings due to the practice of intermittent irrigation and has created aerobic conditions within the soil conducive to the survival of soil microorganisms. The zero use of chemicals and synthetic fertilizers has allowed the survival and growth of farm fauna and flora otherwise decimated by chemicals and poisons and helps in cleaning streams, rivers, mangrove forests and eventually oceans where farm runoffs flow. It has also allowed a dynamic population of insects to thrive in the farm ecosystem. The texture and composition of the soils have likewise improved, with increased organic matter and with higher water holding capacity, initial proof of restored biological activities. There is also zero exposure to farmers and their families to chemicals and poisons. And finally, the long lost and forgotten spirit of volunteerism is now slowly being revived in the SRI farming communities.

Language(s)

The local dialect is "Ilonggo", the national language is "Tagalog"and the second language is "English"

Water

water use efficiency increased as the amount of water required to produce one kilo of rice was reduced by as much as 50-60 %. Comparison of water use was attained by measuring the level of paddy water prior to irrigation and during rains.

Food Security/Nutrition

ZIDOFA farmers cultivate heirloom pigmented rice varieties later milled as brown rice (black, red, purple, pink, brown). These have more nutrients than well polished rice and since it is organically grown, is much safer for consumers. ZIDOFA farmers have equaled and even surpassed their previous yields using conventional methods. As soil fertility is restored, higher increases can be attained which will make organic SRI a substantial contributor towards the attainment of food security.

Economic/Sustainable Development

The establishment of closed-loop organic rice value chain will enable the farmers to become better managers of farm resources and better adapt to economic and market conditions. The establishment of a rice mill will make available to the project Rice bran and rice hulls (converted to carbonized rice hull) which are both essential ingredients in the manufacture of bokashi. This will lower the price of bokashi and reduce the cost of production even more leading to safer, more affordable rice.

Climate

Organic SRI has been known to reduce the emissions of GHG Methane through its practice of intermittent irrigation which also results in water savings. The non use of synthetic fertilizers will allow for the recovery not just of the farm ecosystem but also the marine and coastal habitats. Reviving the bioilogical activity in soils allows it to become a more efficient carbon sink.

Sustainability

The limited initial funds were used solely for the manufacture of organic fertilizers. The affordable availability of organic inputs and amendments not only spurred the promotion of organic SRI but was the key factor in sustainability as farmers paid for inputs during harvest and the funds were reused to make additional organic fertilizers.

Farmer empowerment through the establishment of post harvest facilities and provision of mechanization will enable additional income for farmers from the use of these facilities and tequipment. The cooperative nature of the organization provides for distribution of proceeds among member farmers and promotes a strong sense of ownership and accountability for the project.

Return on investment

Total Project Cost: 25,000 USD. Accomplishments: Manufacture of organic Bokashi and NFS Concoctions (8,000 USD) Result: 21 ha. converted to organic SRI from conventional chemical Advocacy for organic agriculture and organic SRI (5,000 USD) Result: Raised local consumer market awareness to organic SRI and organic SRI Rice Training and Organizational Strengthening (2,000 USD) Result: 33 farmer-beneficiaries now participating in the project Farm mechanization and equipment (3,000 USD) Result: Two motorized weeders bought to address farm labor deficiency Additional funds were used to conduct 15 SRI training and participation in 8 major exhibits promoting SRI and organic rice to more than 1,800 exhibit attendees.

Entrant Image

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

This is a first ever farmer initiated project outside of government programs. The holistic approach of providing sufficient training in organic SRI and organic fertilizer manufacturing, monitoring and mentoring during production, and provision of post harvest facilities for milling, drying, packaging and eventually aid in the marketing of organic rice allows for a value chain where farmers have control for sustainability. Scope of requirements for replication: - Presence of a farmers organization - Funding for bokashi and other organic inputs (USD 8,000.00) - Government Agency Support (for post harvest equipment, mechanization and packaging) - availability of heirloom varieties - Organizational strengthening, capability building and administration (USD 3,000.00) - Working Capital for purchase of farmers organic SRI paddy rice (11,000.00 USD) - Marketing and Advocacy (3,000.00 USD) - Production Support ( Equipment and Logistical requirements) (5,000.00 USD)

YouTube URL

Zarraga SRI Farm Training Video

Overview