Is My Alma Mater UP Los Baños Waking Up To The Urgent Need For Regenerative Agriculture? UPLB – “Sustainable Agriculture Is Regenerative Of The Poverty Of Farmers!”

Reading Ana Vera G Oleta’s article, “UPLB Establishes Two National Consortia For Academic And Research Initiatives (28 Oct 2024, University of the Philippines Los Baños, uplb.edu.ph), I am heartened with the news of UPLB’s new initiatives for national academe and research programs:

“UPLB spearheaded the establishment of two national consortia aimed at enhancing education, research, and sustainable development in the country through the promotion of academic collaboration among higher education institutions (HEIs).

“The two new national consortia are the Philippine Consortium for Cooperative Education and Research (PCCER) and the Philippine Human Ecology Consortium (PHEC).”

As an Agriculturist who never stopped learning – a UPLB alumnus (BSA major in Ag Edu, 1965) and teacher (Civil Service Professional, 1964) – I remain interested in these subject areas: Education, Research and Ecology. And so I note that:

“Through these consortia, member institutions are poised to make substantial contributions to national development by promoting innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability in their respective fields.”

I note particularly sustainability, which is in sharp contrast with regeneratability. Since its founding in 1908, UP Los Baños has been espousing sustainable agriculture via chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides – you can only sustain your agriculture if you keep using such chemicals!

Unfortunately, such sustainable agriculture has sustained the poverty of millions of Filipino farmers!

Why? Sustainable Agriculture is very high cost while yielding very low returns (VHC=VLR). The reason millions of farmers keep borrowing from usurers (the notorious “5/6 Scheme” – borrow 5 and pay back 6 within 2 months. Note: Urea P1,581, Complete P1,603, and Ammonia P823 (PhilRice, philrice.gov.ph).

Now, when can those poor Filipino farmers rise from Poverty to Prosperity?

Not by Chemical Agriculture (CA) but surely via Regenerative Agriculture (RA)!

Here is my  personal list of RA practices:

(1) Cover Cropping, (2) Crop Rotation, (3) Farm Crops + Tree Crops (Agroforestry), (4) Green Manuring, (5) Intercropping, (6) Multiple Cropping, (7) No-Till Farming, (8) Organic Fertilization, (9) Ratooning, (10) Rotational Grazing, (11) “Three Sisters” Planting, (12) Trap Cropping, (13) Trash Mulching.

None of those practices require chemical fertilizers and chemical pesticides. They are all low-costs. Very low cost=very high returns (VLC=VHR): 

(1) RA practices are not scientist-dependent on knowledge of how to practice them.

(2) RA does not destroy the fertility of the soil; on the contrary, it adds to it!

(3) RA practices are easy to master, nothing complicated.

(4) RA practices do not attract insects – crops are not palatable to them. So, no infestation, no need to apply any kind of pesticide.

(5) RA practices grow healthy crops – the health-conscious consumers would gladly pay for them!

No, PCCER people – you do not have to believe me; I urge you go and conduct so many researches on Regenerative Agriculture yourselves. You can be sure knowledge will set you free!
(image from sg.images.search.yahoo.com)

“Know that you don’t know. That is superior.” – Lao Tzu.

“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand” – Frank Herbert

HEis, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?@517