MASIPAG (Farmer-Scientist Partnership for the Development of Agriculture, Incorporated)

Overview

MASIPAG started as a movement of advocates for sustainable agriculture and later on expanded the coverage to include advocacy for small farmers’ rights and empowerment. It also pertains to the technology being used to promote alternative farming in the community or in particular, the rice production.
To date, MASIPAG has brought 751 traditional rice varieties to several farming communities nationwide.
There are about 500 farmer groups that form the MASIPAG network with 42 NGOs.

Points about the partnership

The culture of establishing “trial farms” was born, where farmers become “scientists and researchers” as they select varieties for local adaptability, study genetic traits and performance and undertake conservation and breeding.