Seeding Sovereignty Across the Philippines

Intro/Background

2020 has been a challenging, unique, and intense year! For Global Seed Savers (GSS) and Communities for Alternative Food Ecosystems Initiative (CAFEi) this year has also encouraged us to continue our existing work and highlighted the great demand for healthy local food and seed systems!

In 2017, our two young non-profits connected and began what has become a dynamic collaboration ensuring more communities have access to local food and seeds and that farmers throughout Cebu return to the ancient practice of saving seeds thus ending their dependence on chemical and extractive farming practices.

Through our collaboration we have held multiple seed schools across Cebu, launched a seed library based at CAFEi in Cebu City that houses more than 60 locally produced varieties of seeds, and organized the 15 member Cebu Seed Savers. This year we expanded our seed saving education and training as part of CAFEi’s Grow-It-Yourself Feeding & Gardening Program in partnership with Mandaue Resilience Network’s projects aimed at supporting the lowest income urban dwellers to grow their own food and seeds.

Impact Story

Global Seed Savers and CAFEi launched separate projects at the onset of the lockdown. Our model was Aduyon, food security through mutual aid. CAFEi launched their Grow It Yourself program by teaching seven families how to grow their own food. Word soon spread about this program and interest in the model they created grew. What started with just seven families in densely populated urban neighborhoods soon reached over 350 households. These households are now growing their own food, even in the smallest of spaces, and are dedicated to helping their neighbors start their own backyard and community gardens.

These newly trained urban gardeners are unemployed mothers and fathers, many of whom are informal settlers, living in the squatter areas of the City. Of late three companies who are members of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) have donated sections of their land in their factories and office spaces - one even donated their rooftop to support the new urban gardeners.

In every gardening and farming project, the most often cried-for need is for organic, open pollinated seeds! Seeds that are not treated with chemicals, hybridized or genetically engineered. To meet this growing demand for Seed we are honored to fill this void and launch a Cebu Seed Sovereignty Campaign with CAFEi!

Ask

Your support, right now, will enable us to grow our impact throughout Cebu and ensure that more rural and urban gardeners and farmers learn to grow their own seeds and have ready and easy access to non-chemical, open-pollinated seeds!

Join us for our annual year-end campaign and support our growing impact! Our goal is to raise $5,000 by December 31st to launch the Cebu Seed Sovereignty Campaign!

Thank you for investing and growing our impact on food systems that support the well-being of all people and the planet!

*If you would like to give via direct bank transfer in the Philippines you can do so via the account details below. Giving online via Pesos is an option as well.

Bank of the Philippines Islands
Global Seed Savers Philippines
0573 3706 27