Growing Prosperity: Turning Sustainable Agriculture into Sustainable Profits in the Philippines

In the southern Philippines, Evangeline Novela is transforming her life as she makes a positive change in her community through cacao farming. As a smallholder farmer and widow, she is the sole provider for her household of five, including a family member who requires special care. Despite these challenges, Evangeline has embraced agriculture as her lifeline, cultivating a variety of crops and livestock on her two-hectare farm. While cacao farming is her primary source of income, she has gone beyond just growing cacao beans.

Evangeline’s ingenuity led her to explore innovative uses for cacao by-products. She turns cacao leaves into intricate crafts, and processes beans into tablea, a traditional Filipino hot chocolate drink. Additionally, she uses organic waste from her farm to produce vermicompost, a high-quality natural fertilizer, which she supplies to fellow farmers, generating additional income.

Support from MEDA’s Resilience and Inclusion through Investment for Sustainable Agrikultura (RIISA) project has been integral to this change. Evangeline adopted environmentally sustainable agriculture production practices through training sessions, dialogues, and cooperative action planning. She learned to implement intercropping, composting, and rainwater harvesting.

The impact of Evangeline’s innovative practices and newfound knowledge has been significant. Her farm’s productivity increased with less effort for farming activities. Her farm is now certified as an agricultural training site for good agricultural practices and she hosts learning events organized by her country’s department of agriculture. Evangeline’s expanding farm activities show how — with the right vision and execution — sustainable agriculture, environmental stewardship, and economic prosperity can not only coexist, but also lead the way forward to greater prosperity and productivity.

This story was originally published by MEDA and was edited for alignment with the Missing Middle campaign.