10/12/2025
Casa Hermanas, 18 Vinzon St., Old Albay, Legazpi City — The Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IRDF), under its project Upscaling Agro-ecology in Rice-Based Farming Systems (AbRF) and supported by the Department of Agriculture (DA), is currently conducting a three-day training seminar from July 9–11, 2025, which aims to strengthen the capacity of smallholder rice farmers to adapt to climate change, diversify their livelihoods, and align their farming practices with agroecology and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The training, titled “Redesigning Smallholder Farms for Increased Productivity, Income and Climate Change Resiliency,” brings together farmers, youth leaders, cooperative officers, and barangay representatives from various communities in Albay, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes. The event provides an important opportunity for knowledge generation and sharing on five major topics: agroecological farm redesign, income diversification, financial literacy, cooperative strengthening, and SDG-aligned rural development.
According to IRDF, the training addresses long-standing challenges faced by smallholder farmers, such as dependence on monoculture, unstable income, high vulnerability to climate shocks, and limited access to markets and value-adding opportunities. The program highlights the importance of farmer-led innovation, regenerative agriculture, and stronger community enterprises.
Key sessions showcase the transition from input-heavy farming to agroecological systems, the development of new income sources such as agrotourism and value-added processing, and the strengthening of cooperatives to enhance market leverage and financial resilience of rice farmers.
Participants are also engaging in hands-on activities, including climate-smart farm design, income stream mapping, and seasonal cash flow simulations. To build the sustainability of rice farming—especially in the context of depressed palay prices—IRDF emphasizes that promoting low-cost sustainable farming technologies and applying a value-chain approach are both crucial. The organization also underscores the need for deeper collaboration with DA and LGUs to expand capacity-building initiatives for rice farmers.
Prof. Teodoro Mendoza, a retired professor from UP Los Baños and a well-known scientist and advocate of food sovereignty, serves as the main resource person. A visit to Tata Celso Farm in Gubat, Sorsogon is scheduled on the last day of the training.
