How To Change The World #2: The Failure of Agrarian Reform in The Philippines and a Small Initiative That Can Contribute to Smallholder Farmers

Q: Describe the persistence of poverty in your neighborhood or region. What is the most important thing you can do to alleviate the suffering caused by poverty? Find at least one other person with whom you can take action that makes a positive difference. Describe what you’ve done and why it matters.

A: In the Philippines, 27.9% of the population of around 95 million falls below the poverty line. This is considered high, especially when compared to other countries that were in similar circumstances as the Philippines in the 1980s like China, Thailand, and Indonesia. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_Philippines). There are many probable causes, such as corruption. However, I’d like to focus on just one aspect (though still related to corruption, which seems to touch all aspects of the Philippines). Jeffrey Sachs (Common Wealth, Economics For a Crowded Planet) describes economic development through four basic stages: subsistence economy (mostly agricultural) to commercial economy to an emerging-market to technology-based economy. In the Philippines, one will find all four in various stages and sectors.

I was particularly struck by Sachs’ emphasis on agriculture as a starting point. He cites the Green Revolution in poverty alleviation (case study: India versus Africa). I disagree with certain aspects of Green Revolution: the use of pesticides, the potential over-use of fertilizer and the disastrous outcomes of mono-crops. However, I did see the point of poverty alleviation starting from the basics: moving beyond subsistence.

In the Philippines, land reform has been a failure, starting from the original Comprehensive Agrarian Reform (CARP) in 1986 under President Cory Aquino and the Extension with Reforms (CARPer) in 2009 under President Gloria Arroyo (source: http://bulatlat.com/main/2010/01/01/agrarian-reform-in-2009-more-of-the-same-failed-program/). In fact, Arroyo herself is linked to diverting funds intended for smallholder farmers to her political campaign in 2004 (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizer_Fund_scam). This failure of land reform has led to the rising migration from rural areas to the cities, merely transferring poverty from the provinces to urban areas (source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/38217/agrarian-reform-failure-has-led-to-squatter-problem-in-cities-says-urban-poor-group).

So what is one thing I can do as an ordinary citizen that can make a difference in this scenario? It takes more than just one other person. It takes a community of like-minded people. Recently, I joined a group called Good Food Community (http://www.goodfoodcommunity.com/about_us/how_it_works). The idea is to support smallholder family farms by buying their produce in advance. It helps farmers go through the trouble of learning and applying organic farming techniques while they are assured of a market that will buy their produce. This isn’t based on Esther Duflo’s randomized controlled trials (RCT) for the best use of the money that I am investing in this initiative. But what I do know is I am making a difference in a very basic stage of the Philippines’ development: agriculture. It is a small step. But as Pranab Bardhan says in his paper, Little, Big, Two Ideas About Fighting Global Poverty, “there are no general recipes or quick fixes for poverty. In their (the micro-experimentalists, aka J-PAL or Jamal Poverty Action Lab and RCT-proponents like Esther Duflo) judgment, small transfers and nudges can make a difference.” I agree. I’ve joined a small citizen-based initiative for now. But this model is replicable and actionable. I think, with a little more time and a lot of social sharing, this is a step towards poverty alleviation in my country.

Note: I am currently taking up a course boldly called How To Change The World offered by Wesleyan University (offered for free through Coursera.org) and taught by Wesleyan University President, Michael S. Roth. It tackles major issues facing humanity and it is based on discussions brought up during the 2013 Social Good Summit in NY. I am putting up all my assignments on my blog as well.

How To Change The World #1: Philippine Commons and Moving Towards a Cooperative Future

Question: Describe at least two examples of how individuals or private corporations have tried to take something to which a community had free access and restrict this access on the basis of private ownership or price. What can you do to bring something back into the commons?

Answer:  One example, at least from my country, the Philippines, involves the sale of patented seeds used for agriculture. According to a report from gmeducation.org http://www.gmeducation.org/latest-news/p207220-the-monsanto-monopoly.html, 270,000 small-holding farmers are being forced to grow GM (genetically modified) corn and are ending up in debt with the cost of corn seeds going up 282% since its introductory price. In the Philippines, the seed suppliers also happen to be the lenders, making the arrangement highly convenient for the seed supplier and more and more to the detriment of the small farmer. Seeds are a form of commons to which small family farmers should have fair access. Sadly, however, these seeds have become the private property of some companies through intellectual property/ patenting and thus, are sold back to the farmers at a higher price than they would have paid for unpatented seeds.

 Another example of how private ownership and market has affected a commons is our very own Boracay in the Philippines. Please read this article for more background: http://www.rappler.com/life-and-style/30130-boracay-paradise-lost. Once a pristine beach with clear water and naturally sandy white beaches, property on this island was bought up quickly and it has become a perfect example of a “tragedy of the commons.” With each resort only thinking about its own profits, each resort exploited common natural resources available such as the open beach, dumping refuse into it. Now, the whole island, including all the resorts, suffers from the common problem of polluted and infected water (there have been cases of tourists suffering from ameobiasis due to the contaminated water). I have personally seen a pipe coming from the resorts expelling waste into the shore. I did not hazard swimming in the sea after seeing that.

What I’ve done for the former is I’ve subscribed to http://www.goodfoodcommunity.com/ where I become a stakeholder of organic and sustainable agriculture by subscribing (ordering in advance) the organic vegetables being grown by small family farmers in Tarlac, thereby assuring them of profit for the work they do. This is called shared agriculture and reflects a more cooperative view of human nature (as described by Yochai Benkler in his book, The Leviathan and The Penguin). This way, I am not supporting unsustainable industrial farming (including patented seeds and similar technology) and I have become part of a community that cooperates for a common social good. Hopefully, this becomes not just isolated cases of citizen action but a movement towards support for small family farmers and organic, sustainable farming.

For the latter, I am committed to promoting and practicing low impact, responsible ecotourism. Also, instead of traveling to other countries, I’d like to make it a point to visit the islands of my country and contribute to local communities without taking away from the local ecology. Thus, smaller carbon footprint and support for small, artisanal industries in local environments.

Note: I am currently taking up a course boldly called How To Change The World offered by Wesleyan University (offered for free through Coursera.org) and taught by Wesleyan University President, Michael S. Roth. It tackles major issues facing humanity and it is based on discussions brought up during the 2013 Social Good Summit in NY. I am putting up all my assignments on my blog as well.