ikeseneres

HOW CAN WE TURN MARKET WASTE INTO FOOD SECURITY? At the risk of stating the obvious, garbage is only garbage if we throw it away. If we recycle it properly, it becomes a valuable resource. Take our public markets for example. Studies have shown that about 60% to 80% of the solid waste generated by wet and dry markets consists of biodegradable materials such as vegetable trimmings, spoiled fruits, fish wastes, poultry wastes, and other organic matter. In some markets, the percentage could even reach 90%. Why should we continue hauling these materials to already overcrowded sanitary landfills when they could be converted into something useful? I recently learned about an interesting proposal submitted by RU Foundry and Machinery, Inc. to the City Government of Pasig. The proposal is both simple and practical. Install commercial shredders in public markets so that biodegradable wastes could immediately be processed onsite. Instead of transporting bulky wastes to landfills, the shredded ma...

HOW CAN WE FIX OUR BROKEN VALUE CHAIN IN OUR AGRICULTURE? During Rome Nutrition Week 2026, IFAD President Álvaro Lario made a statement that every policymaker in the Philippines should carefully study. He reminded the world that nutrition starts long before food reaches the dining table. It starts with farmers who have access to quality inputs, adequate financing, functioning value chains, reliable infrastructure, and markets that fairly reward their hard work. Everything that Lario said applies directly to the Philippines. At the risk of stating the obvious, nutrition depends on agriculture. Without farmers, there is no food. Without food, there is no nutrition. The question is: Does our government recognize that our agricultural value chain is badly broken? Or are we pretending that the problem will somehow solve itself? The Department of Agriculture cannot fix this alone. What we need is a whole-of-government—and perhaps even a whole-of-nation—approach. Agriculture involves roads, i...

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME GARDENS BECOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY If you have a home garden, no matter how small it is, there are many things that you can do to make it more environmentally friendly. At the risk of stating the obvious, your garden is part of the environment, and whatever you do inside it will eventually affect the community around you. Many people believe they can do whatever they want with their own gardens. That is true, but what if your garden could also improve air quality, strengthen biodiversity, and even contribute to food security? One simple way is to plant native flowering species that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Scientists estimate that pollinators support more than one-third of global food production. By providing food and shelter for these beneficial insects, your backyard becomes part of a larger ecological corridor that also benefits nearby fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and farms. On the other hand, excessive use of chemical fert...

WHY A FOOD-SUPPLY SHOCK IS REAL AND WHY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WAKE UP TO IT A food-supply shock in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is now being forecast by Goldman Sachs. This is not mere speculation. It comes from one of the world's most respected investment research institutions, and that alone should be enough reason for our government to pay serious attention. The question is: Has the Department of Agriculture (DA) already informed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. about this looming threat? If it has, what concrete measures are now being implemented? If not, why not? According to Goldman Sachs, the Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable because we are a net food importer. Worse, food already consumes almost half of the budget of many low-income Filipino families. If global food prices rise because of higher oil prices, more expensive fertilizers, and the expected El Niño later this year, ordinary Filipinos will suffer the most. This is what economists ca...

  WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF INTERCROPPING? Intercropping is actually common sense, but it seems that common sense is no longer so common. Long before modern agriculture became dependent on monocropping, our farmers already knew that growing different crops together was a practical way to maximize land, reduce risks, and increase income. Take the example of coconuts and cacao. There is really no need to argue which should be the primary crop because they naturally complement each other. Coconut trees provide the partial shade that cacao requires, while both crops generate long-term income. Instead of competing, they work together. The same principle applies to cacao and madre de cacao, better known as kakawate, which is commonly planted as a shade tree. However, coconut palms could be an even more productive alternative because they also produce a valuable commercial crop. The success of intercropping should not be measured merely by harvest volume but by the Land Equivalent Rat...

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF GROWING PALM OIL? Did the Philippines stop planting oil palm? That seems to be the popular perception, but it is not entirely accurate. Oil palm plantations still exist, particularly in Mindanao, but it is fair to say that the industry's growth has been slower than many had hoped. The question now is not whether we stopped planting palm oil. The real question is whether we should prioritize it. I believe that we should seriously consider doing so, especially if we are sincere about achieving energy security and reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Palm oil is one of the world's most productive oil crops. While coconut typically produces less than one ton of oil per hectare, oil palm can produce four to six times more. That productivity explains why neighboring countries have embraced it. Take Indonesia as an example. By July 2026, it is implementing its B50 biodiesel program, blending 50 percent palm-based fuel with diesel. The Indones...