Agro-Eco Philippines, Inc.

About Us

Agro-Eco Philippines started its development work with the poor farmers in Mindanao as early as 1991. Its existence and sustainability up to this period is attributed to the active involvement of the Church people, civil society organizations, local government units, and more importantly, the voluntarism of the farmers who are very active in carrying out the programs of the organization that led them out of disenfranchisement, exploitations and rural poverty directly linked with pesticides-dependent conventional agriculture.

From 1991 up to the early part of 2000, Agro-Eco Philippines - then using the name Masipag Mindanao, had grown to be an expanding network of sustainable agriculture practitioners and advocates in Mindanao with very minimal costs due to the knowledge sharing among farmers, Dioceses, NGOs, referrals and altruism.

On August 19, 2004, the organization registered itself with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as MASIPAG Mindanao, Inc. or Farmers Scientist Partnership for Development with registration no. CN200429504. A year after, a 14-hectare biodiversity center was established in Maluko, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon through the assistance from faith-based development organizations in Europe.

In years that followed, the organization achieved rapid growth and expansions that reached more communities, organized more farmers’ organizations, and empowered more farmers. It conducted more mobilizations and protest actions, and accomplished tremendous tasks and development programs, making it a known development organization at the national and international levels.

After the General Assembly held on August 19-20, 2016, the members of the organization decided to adopt a new name in response to its organizational evolution and growth, and to serve more farmers in other parts of the country. Thus, the name MASIPAG Mindanao, Inc. has been changed to “Agro-Eco Philippines, Inc. or Farmers and Advocates Partnership for Agroecological Development.”

The name Agro-Eco Philippines is taken from the term ‘agroecology’ which emphasizes integration and wholeness in sustainable food production system and economic growth vis-à-vis environmental protection. The word Philippines represents the scope and development goal of the organization – to serve more poor farmers throughout the country under a nationalist agriculture program which protects the sanctity of God’s creations and to promote unity and cooperation among the farmers across faith, ethnicity, cultural variations, and geographical setting.

To date, there are many initiatives across the country that have the same technological components as Agro-Eco Philippines. However, Agro-Eco Philippines realized that technological intervention (rice breeding, organic fertilizer making, etc) by itself was narrowly-focused and did not address other aspects of the development of organic farming systems, resilient farming communities, and agroecological transformation. A more holistic approach to agroecological transformation is now the strategic concern of Agro-Eco Philippines.

Vision: A just and sustainable society where farmers are empowered, and their rights fulfilled.

Mission: To help build resilient farming communities and sustainable economies among poor farmers.

Goal: Agro-Eco Philippines asserts the right to food of the people, reduce hunger in the poor farming communities, improve the quality of life and increase the adaptive capacity of the farmers to climate change through agro-ecology, continuing technical and on-farm innovations, social enterprise advocacy and solidarity at all levels.

Values:
• Agro-Eco Bayanihan Spirit (Mutual Help);
• People and Ecology Before Profit;
• Farmer to farmer sharing of knowledge and innovations
• Respect of Cultures, Ethnicities, Religion and Gender;
• Seed is life and meant to be shared for the common good

Program 1: Agroecological development enabling farmers and communities become resilient to climate change
1. Development of agroecological (DIFS) farms
2. Crops and livestock Improvement and Production
3. Development and dissemination of resilient farming practices
4. Establishment of Farming Learning Centers/community seed banks

Program 2: Generating Resources through Applied Community Enterprise (GRACE)
1. Organic product processing and marketing
2. Establishment of Organic Product Outlets
3. Consumers’ Education
4. Strengthening of Local Economies

Program 3: Advocacy, capacity-building, training, information dissemination, international solidarity, and assertiveness on the right to food towards social equality (ACTIVE)
1. Policy advocacy and Lobbying
2. Linkaging and building of alliances
3. International solidarity and exposures
4. Publications of information materials

Program 4: Formation, Conscientization and Community Empowerment
1. Community-based educations on agroecology
2. Capacity-building of Farmer Leaders
3. Development of young farmer leaders and young FTs
4. Strengthening of farmer’s organizations

Program 5: Gender Empowerment by Nurturing Equality and Respect
1. Women in agriculture
2. Gender for Men
3. Institutional partnerships on gender issues and VAWC

Program 6: Organizational Development, Expansions and Strengthening
1. Network Strengthening and Consolidation
2. Disaster preparedness and emergency response