DA-CV launches Community-based Action Research (CPAR) on Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA) in Daanbantayan, Cebu

To adapt the adverse effects of climate change and build climate-resilient communities and livelihood, the Department of Agriculture-Central Visayas (DA-CV) through the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) launches recently the Community-based Action Research (CPAR) on a Climate-resilient Agriculture (CRA) in Barangay Bagay, Daanbantayan, Cebu.

During the launching, Dr. Fabio G. Enriquez, Chief of Research Division of DA 7, said that the project will enable the community to come up with CRA technologies and practices for the farmers to choose to enhance food security and farm productivity despite the climate change challenges.

Maria Lina R. Jugan, the Municipal Agriculturist of Daanbantayan expressed her gratitude that a CPAR-CRA project was now implemented in their municipality after years of waiting and assured their support to the project. The sixteen (16) Farmer Learning Group (FLG) members will conduct field trials of CRA interventions according to their commodity which is corn as the base crop with the hope of sharing the research results with other farmers.

On the other hand, AMIA is a national initiative that addresses climate change in agriculture. The initial phases of AMIA was the identification and assessment of climate hazards and climate-risk vulnerabilities of the communities in Cebu Province conducted by the Visayas State University (VSU). Their study "Climate Resiliency and Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA)" measure three components: 1) exposure of the municipality to climate-related hazards, 2) sensitivity of the crops to climate-risks, and 3) capacity of the farmers to adapt with the changing climate conditions.

The project was spearheaded DA-7 Research Division, Provincial Agriculture and Veterinary Office and the Municipal local government of Daanbantayan, Cebu with funding support from BAR.