Member profile
Mr. Jivi Roy Rizaldo
Organization:
Xavier Science Foundation, Inc.
Country:
Philippines
Field(s) of expertise:
Mr. Jivi Roy Rizaldo
Dear esteemed HLPE-FSN,
Please find the document containing Xavier Science Foundation's (Philippines) contribution to the consultation on Preserving, Strengthening, and Promoting Indigenous Peoples' food and knowledge systems and traditional practices for sustainable food systems.
We hope our insights and experiences enrich the discussions and help advance sustainable and inclusive food systems.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this important initiative.
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The Mt. Kalatungan Range Natural Park (MKaRNP) is one of the seven proclaimed protected areas in Northern Mindanao, Philippines covering 38,957 hectares. It is home to wildlife species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. For generations, this biodiverse mountain range is Indigenous Peoples’ home environment bestowing them food, medicine, shelter, and other basic needs of the communities.
With the expanding population and increasing investments in agriculture, the ecological balance progressively diminished with the cutting of trees, tilling of sloping lands and rampant use of agro-chemicals. These unsustainable practices degraded the soils, increased flooding downstream and damaged freshwater habitats. This also contributed to poverty and hunger in upland communities.
Unfortunately, those hardest hit are the poor and the marginalized. It is ironical that many of the IP communities around the Mt Kalatungan Range are experiencing hunger and malnutrition. The traditional food producers are now unable to supply their own household’s food needs.
The Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) has collaborated for several years with Indigenous peoples and local communities, local government units and government agencies in Mt Kalatungan Range towards conserving forest resources, establishing social enterprises and strengthening the local culture. With support from donor partners and institutions, these engagements have produced some positive results. Unfortunately, the challenges are also intensifying including worsening poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition.
In addressing food insecurity and malnutrition, XSF initiated the establishment of home gardens[1] given the traditional knowledge, endemic planting materials and availability of land. With some support from IP Council of Elders, government agencies and local government units, it is planned for majority of the IP communities in the targeted landscape to have their home gardens and ensure household food security.
Facilitating factors identified include land accessibility, availability of water supply, planting materials of traditional vegetables, fruits and herbs, garden tools and farm labor. Women household members take care of the gardens from planting to harvesting. Garden work is manageable because it is flexible, seasonal and programmed according to one’s capacity.
The initial outcome has been encouraging. While Home Gardens were initially intended to address food insecurity and malnutrition, the process of implementation in collaboration with other institutions, opened new perspectives and opportunities in conserving agrobiodiversity, strengthening communal integrity and sustaining rural livelihoods.
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[1] A home garden is a farming system that combines physical, social and economic functions on a land area around the family home. It is a place of work, storage and processing of farm produce and a place to recycle wastes.