I had the honor and privilege of sharing MASIPAG’s collective experience in democratizing science in one of the sharing sessions for the 2026 Green Action Week on July 17.
Green Action Week (GAW) is a global annual campaign launched in 2010 participated in by 50 countries. It promotes the power of community sharing and sustainable consumption and lifestyle, aiming to create lasting impact that inspires action.
Last week’s Knowledge Exchange session centered on Sustainable Technologies for Community Resilience. I was tasked with sharing MASIPAG’s Farmer Developed and Adapted Technologies (FDAT) program, which aims to strengthen local farming knowledge and provide new methods for farmers.
MASIPAG’s FDAT seeks to uplift small farmers through technological sovereignty. Foreign corporate control has deprived farmers of space for natural creativity, resulting in stunted capabilities and changes in their cultural and socio-economic status.
In the Philippines, technology is dominated by corporate interests coupled with government neglect, causing our nation to lag behind technologically. Our mechanization rate is only 2.7–2.8 horsepower per hectare, far below the global average of 4.0 horsepower per hectare and significantly lower than our neighboring Asian countries.
It is in this context that MASIPAG farmers are taking the lead in solving their practical needs. By empowering farmers to develop and implement their own technologies, FDAT helps reclaim their natural creativity and problem-solving skills. At the core of MASIPAG’s FDAT is its democratic principle: technology from and for the people.
Now, let us discuss technology through a more specific example: the Philippine corn industry. Corn is an important crop for most Filipinos, serving as our second staple after rice. Yet the lack of effective programs in our country has left Filipino corn farmers in precarious positions.
Corn farmers are highly dependent on chemicals, specifically herbicides containing glyphosate. These herbicides are systemic and environmentally destructive. In our research, supported by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC), we found that corn farming using glyphosate produces five times more soil loss than traditional farming methods.
The inefficiency of post-harvest processing is also painfully evident. Corn farmers suffered from cuts while manually shelling their corn. Recognizing this problem, MASIPAG farmers formulated a natural herbicide from coconut juice fermented with salt. For every 16 liters of coconut juice (which is equivalent to 1 knapsack sprayer), add 3 kilos of salt and ferment for one month. Spraying this solution directly at noon time or early afternoon yields higher efficacy.
However, we still advise farmers to use this in moderation to prevent soil salinity.
MASIPAG farmers here in Mindanao have applied technology shared with them by our member NGO partners a few decades ago. The manual corn sheller increased corn-shelling efficiency at least tenfold compared to hand shelling.
Thus, we at MASIPAG believe that technology should not be expensive. Technology must be effective. The ultimate test for technology is whether it serves the farmers and the people while protecting our planet. Padayon! (davaotoday.com)
(Note: The knowledge Sharing Session can be viewed here: Sustainable Technologies for Community Resilience | Global Knowledge Exchange | Green Action Week 26)
