How ‘webinars’ and social media sustained CLP’s science-based agriculture stewardship programs

By: Edilberto de Luna, CLP Executive Director

Web-based seminars, or simply termed as “webinars”, have proven to be CropLife Philippines’ effective-and efficient advocacy tool in reaching agriculture stakeholders from the national down to the grassroots level under a “new normal” environment due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

For over a year now, the CLP and its member companies have generated over 3,000   participants in its online stewardship programs ranging from Mode of Action Labelling and Insecticide Resistance Management to addressing the dreaded fall army worm problem while promoting the practice of safe and responsible use of pesticides.

The CLP-led campaign, which maximized interventions through video conferencing and using various social media platforms, exceeded target areas, which   agriculture communities in “internet poor” areas by partnering with the Department of Agriculture through its regional offices and bureaus. 

At least eight major interactive workshop seminars were eventually conducted through Zoom, Facebook, YouTube and other video conferencing software. 

The DA agencies were instrumental in assisting CLP in inviting participants and promoting the webinar series. In one of the webinars on response use of pesticides CLP even collaborated with 26 state and private universities and colleges across the country. Nearly 600 participants joined the webinar.

The participants’ positive feedback was later used as metrics that CLP used to determine the quality of impact from these online events.

A series of “techno-training kits” were also developed with actual online “simplified” technical lectures by agriculture scientists and experts from CLP member companies. 

To sustain online interest, stakeholders were given access to these training kits that were downloadable, along with other printable information materials in various important agriculture topics in the CLP website.

Sinochem strives to touch stakeholders’ lives

Sinochem Crop Protection (Phil) Inc strives to create a systemic meaningful impact of its stakeholders by touching their lives and providing them the technology and tools that would improve their condition.

Since 2008, Sinochem Philippines has been doing its share in community and charitable works.  

Orphans from Casa Miani became the recipient of Sinochem’s annual donation to assist in their education, along with the tree planting activities in Muntinlupa, the donation of urinals in a public school with 8,000 students as beneficiaries, the relief operations and medical mission to extend help to those affected by calamities.

In 2012 Sinochem formally launched the scholarship program and Poso Mula sa Puso (water pump project) program, which aims to provide college education to children of indigent farmers who are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture. 

“The Philippines is an agricultural country and we believe that we should once again bring back the interest of our youth in this industry, “ Sinochem said.

In the process, it provides the needs of the scholars to help them achieve their goals through financial assistance and continuous monitoring of their academic progress until they graduate.

“We have helped families of farmers through this initiative with the hope of a long-term positive impact that it could provide their families,” it said.

Acknowledging the issue of scarcity for this resource in some areas in our country, Sinochem launched the Poso Mula sa Puso project with the help of the local government and installed water pumps in farming areas where it is most needed.  The project hoped to provide local residents “ a more decent living, having clean water accessible to them anytime.” 

According to Sinochem, the company “does not only mean business.” 

“We have every intention of impacting the lives of Filipino farmers, of nurturing our environment and contributing to our country’s progress through supply of quality products and through our sustainable and long-term CSR programs, it said. “ Step by step, little by little, through our simple programs we will make others realize the importance of agriculture and tap each one’s capability in extending help to further develop this industry.”  

Through the replication of its best practices, Sinochem said it hopes to reach out and help Filipinos live better lives. 

Operation Pollinator: Enhancing Biodiversity Towards Sustainable Agriculture

Operation Pollinator is a Syngenta initiative that promotes the health and well-being of pollinators and other beneficial insects, given their essential role in agriculture and nature. 

The program creates necessary habitats for bees and other beneficial insects in field margins, fallow areas, and other non-productive land surrounding crop fields.

It also aims to increase and improve habitats to boost pollinator numbers, health, and variety. Since more than 75% of food crop types depend on insects and other animals for pollination, these habitats contribute significantly to crop production.

Globally, Syngenta has been heading this initiative for the last 15 years. Locally, the project began with a 2017 training on beekeeping and pollinator management.

In 2018, Syngenta Philippines embarked on a collaborative project with the UPLB Bee Project Team to create a pollinator pasture and sanctuary in an agro-ecosystem. The project then was designed to develop bee pastures as sustained habitats for pollinators in mango farms in Calatagan, Batangas, and Calamba, Laguna. The project also aims to determine the effect of the pasture on the abundance of pollinators, population growth of bees, and crop yield. 

As of 2019, more than 8 mio hectares of farmland in 41 countries worldwide have benefitted from the enhanced biodiversity through Operation Pollinator.

Syngenta Philippines currently maintains bee pastures in three experimental sites where number and density of pollinator species have increased. Consequently, this resulted in an increase by over 100% the fruit set of eggplants and mangoes.

The pollinator habitats are effectively managed by cultivating bee plants. In Syngenta Philippines farm sites, they grow a nursery of different species of bee plants with staggered flowering times to ensure the availability of flowers throughout the seasons.

The wide variety of forage resources then sustains the population of pollinators while the target crops have yet to flower.

The program also educates and trains farmers to establish pollinator habitats, develop pollinator pastures, and manage natural pollinators. Growers who participated in the operation pollinator training continue to adopt practices that protect pollinators and beneficial insects while enabling them to farm efficiently and profitably in productive areas of their field.

“Sa paglalagay ng mga bulaklakin o ng bee pasture hindi lamang gumanda ang ani at ang kabuuan tingin ko sa bukid, ito rin ay nagpapagaan ng aking pakiramdam. Ang oras ay hindi ko na namamalayan at ang bawat gawain ay parang magaan ” said Renato Alcantara, also known as Kuya Natoy, one of the farmer cooperators. 

Pollination is an integral part of enhancing overall biodiversity, improving crop yields, and securing a balance between sustainable farming and environmental protection.

“Plant it, and they will come,” assures UPLB Bee Project Team representative Ame Locsin, as they encourage all Filipino farmers and every Filipino to create pollinator pastures in their farms, backyards, and unused land.

Syngenta Philippines continues to promote pollinator habitats and other pollinator-friendly practices to thousands of farmers to improve agricultural productivity in an environmentally sustainable manner.