Educating farmers on RTCs, growing solutions to food security

Bridging the information gap between the farmers and experts is the first big step towards embracing root and tuber crops (RTCs) as part of farmers livelihood systems and nutrition. Farmers, who are the producers of RTCs should clearly understand how RTCs provide affordable nutrition and opportunities to increase farmers income.

Figure 1. Dr. Roa demonstrates to the IPs the proper way of handling sweetpotato planting materials.

The International Potato Center (known by its Spanish acronym, CIP) through the assistance of Center for BioMolecular Science Foundation, Inc. (CBMSFI) visited the Mugbukin Aytas in Kanawan, Morong in Bataan on October 24, 2011 to encourage the community in planting RTCs particularly sweetpotatoes for food security, health and nutrition. The community consists of 108 households, seventy four (74) of which are indigenous peoples.

Figure 2. The Aetas of Kanawan, Morong in Bataan and the CIP team after the sharing of beneficial information on RTCs.

Making this initiative possible were CIPs network affiliates from different areas of expertise. Dr. Lourdes Cruz, a biochemist, National Scientist and also the president of CBMSFI emphasized that the visit aims to disseminate to the Aetas the nutritional and economic significance of RTCs to individuals. These crops support the indigenous communities in combating hunger and poverty. Following the introduction was Dr. Julie Roa of Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops). She enumerated and discussed different varieties of sweetpotatoes found in the Philippines. She also shared the current initiatives of PhilRootcrops on seeds improvement and propagation. Dr. Roa demonstrated the proper way of planting sweetpotatoes with specific distance between plants and its ideal way of handling. Dr. Trinidad Trinidad of Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) communicated to the Aetas the nutritional and health benefits of RTCs with an emphasis to children and pregnant women. The community members showed their enthusiasm and interest on RTCs by asking questions which were addressed by the experts. Capping off the visit was the distribution of planting materials to the Aeta community and feeding them steamed sweetpotato. The Aetas showed to the team the site where they intend to cultivate the planting materials and conveyed their strong interest in including RTCs in their commodities. The team extended their commitment to go back to the community early in 2012 in order to assess the planted sweetpotatoes. Furthermore, they also promised to bring additional RTCs planting materials and to discuss possible market matching for their produce.