Accelerating the growth and assessing the impacts of gender-sensitive and technology enhanced organic vegetable production in the province of Laguna

Farmer households in the treatment group were invited to a 2-day training session that includes lectures, practical exercises and focus group workshops. Day 1 was conducted in the study villages, while Day 2 was conducted at the Luntiang Republika Ecofarms, Inc. in Alfonso, Cavite. The training activities were conducted from August to September 2022.

Day 1. Overview and appreciation for Organic Agriculture
Training overview, Expectations-setting; Gendered livelihoods mapping and 24-hr activity profiles; Introduction to organic vegetable production and marketing; Lecture-discussion of organic agriculture components and their respective products; Household planning for organic agriculture; Planning for day 2.

Day 2: Practicum and cross-visit
Revisiting the concepts of OA through an appreciation tour of Luntiang Republika as an organic way of life; Lecture-workshops: preparation of different organic vegetables technologies such FPJ, FFJ, FAA, CalPhos, vermiculture bed, and potting mix; Demonstration on use of BIOTECH microbial inoculants; Observation of wood vinegar processing; Evaluation and reflection: Assessing possibility of using OA technologies by gender; Revisiting household plans. Distribution of sample organic technologies.

The list below summarizes the organic technologies introduced:

Organic Agriculture technology components

I] ORGANIC SEED

Vegetable seeds obtained from organically grown plants or seed produced without chemical inputs

II] SOIL HEALTH AND FERTILITY MANAGEMENT

BIOFERTILIZERS/ CONCOCTIONS
Fermented Plant Juice (FP)
Fermented Fruit Juice (FFJ)
Fish amino acid (FAA)
Calcium phosphate
Vermicast/vermicompost
MICROBIAL INOCULANTS
Bio-N, Nitro-plus, BioGroe, Myko-VAM, VAMRI
COMPOST ACTIVATOR
Bio-Quick, Bio-Fix

III] PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT BIOPESTICIDE

Wood vinegar

2022-08-01

2022-09-30

Technology Index – Short-term: the share of organic vegetable technology options were adopted by farmers, out of 14 options offered during the training, in the first growing season after the training.
Technology Index – Long-term: the share of organic vegetable technology options were adopted by farmers in the most recent growing season.
Measures of Farmer Household Welfare:
a. Market value of yield: sum of market value of yields for all vegetables produced
b. Income: What was your household’s total income from all sources in the past year?
Health measures of children:
a. Weight-for-age Z-score
b. Height-for-age Z-score
c. Minimum dietary diversity score

Labor use
a. Total hours worked by male household members
b. Total hours worked by female household members
c. Total hours worked by hired workers
d. Total wages paid to hired workers
Time use: for the male and female respondent respectively:
a. Sleep hours
b. Employed work hours
c. Cooking and domestic work
d. Care work (children, adults, elderly)

Households recruited into the study completed a baseline survey and participated in a public goods game. They were then randomized to either a treatment or control group. The treatment group participated in seminars on how to use organic vegetable technologies and their possible benefits, and had the opportunity to purchase these technologies at a discounted rate. Approximately one year after the training, we collected data on household outcomes.

Not available

Randomized in office in Stata. Randomization was stratified on farmer cooperative (member or non-Member), rural/urban, and barangay (village).

Household

No

600

600

300