Day 15

A handful of compost worms for a farming family in the Philippines

Worms can also be very different

Sustainable agriculture in the Philippines

Darwin is a farmer in the village of Dumarao. He learned from his parents that almost everything that people need to live comes from nature. Resources seemed to be infinitely available. When Darwin grew up, however, he observed how deforestation around the village led to floods, erosion, water shortages and hunger. The forests were shrinking noticeably. Together with other villagers, Darwin therefore founded an initiative to save the local forest, which supplies the village with drinking water - and with success: Today, there is an official drinking water protection area in Dumarao. To protect the water from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, Darwin went a step further: Together with other farmers, he began to learn and apply organic farming techniques. He quickly realized the wonders that worms can do and how they can transform organic waste into fertilizer in a very short time. This organic fertilizer is not only more effective and cheaper than chemical fertilizers, but also protects drinking water.

need

Increasing income and improving agricultural yields for farming families in Dumarao (Philippines).

activity

Local NGO distributes compost worms to farming families and trains them in how to keep and use them to produce organic fertilizer.

Measurable performance

Number of compost worms and farming families who have switched to sustainable farming.

Result

The income of the farming families has increased by at least 40 percent compared to the start of the project. The amount of pesticides in the soil and drinking water has decreased.

Systemically relevant impact

The living conditions of the village population are improving in the areas of health, income and water supply.

background

Dumarao is one of 31 villages in the Philippine district of Roxas (Palawan province). Around 3,000 people live in the village (Anon, 2015). With an average family income of 7,572 Philippine pesos (around 137 euros) per month, the residents live below the poverty line and are therefore among the poorest 21 percent of the Philippine population (NSO, 2015). Around 40 percent of the population in Dumarao are therefore directly dependent on the use of forest products. The main source of income is agriculture, especially the cultivation of rice and vegetables. Most small farming families live on the edge of the protected drinking water catchment area in Dumarao.

The cost of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is so high that the families can hardly make a profit from their farming. In their desperation, they try to expand their cultivated areas and also cultivate the banks of the river. This leads to erosion and flooding, which ultimately destroys large parts of the rice and vegetable harvests. The small farming families lose important income and have to go into debt. At the same time, drinking water is contaminated by the introduction of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The good deed

With your donation today, the small farming families will receive a handful of compost worms to produce organic fertilizer. The families no longer have to buy chemical fertilizers because they learn to produce organic fertilizer themselves. To do this, each farming family builds its own worm compost house. This is a roof shelter with two large concrete compost chambers in which the worms are cultivated. At the same time, the families are trained and educated in the field of organic farming. By avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides, they can also reduce their expenses. With today's donation, the farming families have the opportunity to increase their yields, produce healthy food and protect their drinking water in the long term.