ASEAN Family Farmers and COVID-19: Impacts, Innovations, Investments

In his presentation, Jumer Marcaida, a young farmer leader from PAKISAMA, shared about how COVID-19 affected their farming activities. Among the impact are:

• Limitations in mobility in doing farm work. When the Philippines imposed a lockdown, modes of public transportation was suspended as well. The youth (21 years old and below) are also prohibited to go out in places under lockdown.
• Difficulty in accessing educational opportunities. The sudden shift to the online mode schooling (including access to scholarships) left many young people behind.
• Difficulty in organizing and participating in online activities and discussions due to limited internet connections especially in remote/rural areas. Online meetings, workshops, webinars, school-on-the-air programs are now the source of information and the new way to conduct capacity building, however, many rural areas in the country still struggle with internet connectivity, thus, many youth miss opportunities to learn from these virtual activities.
• Difficulty in accessing government programs. The lack of adequate information on how to avail existing projects/programs is a hindrance to young people. In this time of the pandemic, it also does not help that the local government units are inconsistent in their approaches in providing relief and support.
• Marketing and processing of produce. Delivery of farmers’ produce, processing areas, and processing equipment are also among the major challenges for young farmers.

As a response to these challenges brought by COVID-19, Jumer conducted the following activities:

• Establishment of young farmers cooperative farm. His cooperative, the Golden Parauma Cooperative, provided agri-extension services and support in production, organizing, etc. to young farmers
• Establishment of local food market for economic empowerment and strengthened collaboration with LGU
• Utilizing social media for online marketing of products
• Continued engagement and partnership with government agencies and non-government agencies. Strengthening 3Ps (Public and Private Partnership)
• Participation in online discussions, meetings, workshops, and webinars, organized by various groups and network. These activities opened young farmers to have a dialogue with other food frontliners
• Attendance and participation in meetings, workshops, webinar
• Sharing of support received from the government to other groups
• Organized youth groups (within the mother organization/cooperative) as a key strategy in pushing the agenda of
  the young farmers/high time to raise their voice

Moreover, Jumer recommends the following for other young farmers:

• Creation of young farmers committee within the mother organization/association
  • Strengthening the role of young farmers
  • Farm take over to govern and cultivate the land they inherited or bought from their parents
• Full value chain support to family farmers from production, processing, and marketing
  • Provision of farm inputs and machinery
  • Provision of incentives (recognition to the outstanding family farmers, etc)
• Continued engagement with government agencies and for public program accessing and partnership
• Continued engagement and partnership with development partners
• Utilize various social media platforms to attract youth in agriculture
  • IEC Materials (print and audio-visual materials)
  • Cross-sectoral approach and ensuring gender justice in farming: young farmers, young fishers, young IP farmers, young women farmers
  • Recognition of young farmers as sectors of the community
• Lobbying for the enactment of proposed legislation that will benefit and recognize the rights of family farmers
  • Magna Carta of Family Farmers
  • Magna Carta of Young Farmers
  • Family Farmers Program

View/Download: Jumer Marcaida’s Presentation

WATCH THE WEBINAR HERE

ALERT: AsiaDHRRA e-Learning Exchanges on Rural Development and Transitions
Episode 2: How Asean family farmers, especially young farmers, are coping with this pandemic

This second episode of ALERT (AsiaDHRRA e-Learning Exchanges on Rural Development and Transitions) is co-organized with Asian Farmers’ Association , Pakisama and FAO.

Date: 21 July 2020
Time: 3:00 – 4:45 P.M. PST

Panelists:
Mr. Jumer Marcaida, Young Farmer Representative, AFA and PAKISAMA
Dr. Glenn Gregorio, Director, SEARCA
Mr. Michael Riggs, Team Leader – Responsible Agricultural Investments, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Mr. Reginald Lee, Director – Partnerships, GrowAsia