Cordillera Indigenous Peoples Have Long Used Organic Farming

Organic farming is a new name for an old practice among many indigenous peoples in the Cordillera region, Philippines. For many years, indigenous peoples called Igorots, maintained ricefields fertilized with composted pig manure called "lumeng". This is mixed with rice straw and during planting, the manure is spread in the ricefields together with wild sunflower. (Tithanium divesifolium). The Igorots also have been using the nitrogen-fixing algae, an aquatic fern to help fertilize their rice with nitrogen before scientists claimed they discovered it.

In the homes of Igorots are home gardens which are a mixture of vegetables,medicinal plants and spices.

It is sad however that these indigenous sustainable practices are being lost to cash crop industry. PINE TREE is one of the few NGOs in the region still promoting homegardens and organic gardening.

Michael A. Bengwayan, Ph.D
Director
PINE TREE