Regaining the land
Lessons from farmers' experience with sustainable agriculture in the Philippines

Rice cultivation in Asia has become increasingly dependent on a narrow range of hybrid seeds, to which farmers must apply ever greater quantities of chemical fertilisers and pesticides. As a result there is severe land degradation and many small farmers are alienated from the land. This book documents the efforts of resource-poor farmers in the Philippines to regain control over the land by converting to organic agriculture.

Julian Oram examines case study evidence from Negros and Mindanao, where rice farmers have sought to break from the treadmill of chemical dependency by adopting the MASIPAG programme of organic rice farming. It offers vital clues to the factors that can help or hinder small farmers seeking to implement sustainable agriculture.

2002 ISN 1 85287 252 7
112pp A4