Smart Gardening: Better Soil, Better Harvest

In 2016, the Philippines was one of the leading food exporters in the ASEAN region. We are the top distributor of pineapples in Asia. We also exported more than 3 million tons of bananas to Asian countries and the Middle East.

Despite these figures, we fall short at locally providing some of the more staple food on a typical Filipino’s hapag-kainan (dining table). For the past years, we have been importing rice, poultry, corn, garlic and at least 2 million tons of vegetables to support our market.

Many factors contribute to problems on food security in the Philippines including poverty, agriculture, food accessibility and climate impacts, according to a 2017 country review by Brain Trust, Inc.

Hunger and malnutrition affect the poor most. The Ecology Action predicts that in less than 40 years from today, the world might already run out of farmable soil.

Bio-intensive gardening is a low-cost and simple farming technique that focuses on improving the soil quality.

This method aims to support food security and environmental programs by helping impoverished communities, urban dwellers and small-scale farmers to make the most out of their plot of land.

Unlike conventional farming, it utilizes smaller space, deep soil penetration, composting, intensive planting and companion planting. The deeper penetration under the ground allows roots to absorb more nutrients and increase yield of produce.

Research shows that bio-intensive farms use up to 75% less land, 50-100% less fertilizer and almost 88% less water than conventional farming.

In the previous years, environmental organization Haribon Foundation has helped teach indigent communities on how to grow fruits and vegetables in their own backyards. Using Smart Gardening as a technique, these communities were able to serve nutritious food to their families.

This tree planting season, Haribon invites YOU to get your hands dirty and learn how you can make your own backyard garden, the smart way!

On October 14, let Haribon’s farming experts and community partners guide you with practical knowledge on bio-intensive gardening, soil nutrients, crop rotation that uses less water and fertilizer and tips on locally-grown veggies all in a day’s field trip to an actual tree nursery in Caliraya, Laguna.

To register, simply visit Haribon’s Facebook page fb.com/goharibon and sign up via the Smart Gardening Training main event page or e-mail [email protected].