Agriculture, poverty & climate change in Philippines
by Kaitlyn Lavelle
1. As of 2019, agriculture in the Philippines accounted for about 9% of the GDP, while employing about 23% of people in raw crop processing. It is estimated that around 30% of people are involved in the farming and pre-processing procedure.
2. The Benguet region of the Philippines supplies approximately 80% of the country’s semi-temperate vegetables, known locally as the nations “Salad Bowl.” This equates to around 1.1 metric tons of food production per year. For the last half of a century, these farmlands have continued to encroach upon protected land, such as the Mount Data National Park, which has seen a 70% decline in area due to agricultural and residential development. Under current farming practices, these lands require ever more fertilizers due to heavy use.
3. Indigenous communities have formed “management zones” to stop the spread of farms into the protected Pulag National Park, 25% of which has already been converted into vegetable gardens.
4. According to the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines, about 80% of farmland is used to cultivate three crops: rice, corn and coconuts. The government believes that focusing on cash crops, such as abaca (manila hemp), bananas, cocoa, coffee, rubber and mangos could help lift people out of poverty. Other high-income crops could include pineapple, watermelon, avocados, bell peppers, pomegranate and passionfruit.
5. The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter (87.5% of world’s supply) of abaca, which is used as a stand-alone fiber and as a natural mix for other polymers. These farms are owned and operated by individual families, typically on about 1.6 hectares of land.
6. Outmoded technologies and inadequate farming practices hamper farmers’ ability to adequately cultivate their crops. Modern tools are needed to appropriately cultivate and process goods after harvest.
7. According to the Global Climate Risk Index, the Philippines has consistently been one of the countries most affected by climate change. This is in large part due to geography. Typically, the Philippines experiences around 20 tropical storms a year. However, because of the rise of global climate change and deforestation, the Philippines is experiencing much harsher weather, leading to death, displacement and destruction of livelihood for many living in the Philippines.
8. Many destroyed crops, such as abaca, take between 18-24 months to cultivate. When a crop is destroyed, it often leads children to leave school early in order to help their parents tend the farm. When last recorded in 2011, the World Bank estimates that about 55% of children between the ages of 7 and 14 are “economically active” in agriculture.
9. In 2015, the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative awarded the Philippines the title of “Outstanding Country” for its noted efforts towards organic and sustainable farming.
10. Industry, violent conflict and climate change destruction is forcing rural people into the cities as “informal settlers.” In 2018, an estimated 4.5 million people (of a total population of 106 million) were thought to be homeless in the Philippines. Many homeless individuals live in Manila, 1.2 million of them children. Charities (including the UNHRC) estimate that this is the largest homeless settlement in the world.
11. About 21% of people are considered poor (living at or below $1.90 USD a day) in the Philippines. In agricultural and fishing sectors, there is an estimated 70% of people considered poor.
Information on high-income or “cash” crops.
The government lists several main cash crops: abaca, cocoa, coffee, bananas, rubber and mangos. Rice is generally considered a cash crop, but the Philippines only exports about 8% of the world's supply. Abaca is almost exclusively exported from the Philippines (87.5%), is native to the Philippines and is considered a "green" alternative (or additive) to textiles that have recently been primarily man made.
Other high-income crops include pineapples (The Philippines ranks 3rd in the world), avocados (an emerging market), passion fruit, bell peppers, watermelon and pomegranate (low maintenance upkeep).