Mr. Food Production (March 2010)

During my College days in a premier agricultural institution of the Visayas, individual food production was one of the extra-curricular requirements aside from the rice field and the 1 m X 50 m plots for vegetable production as part of our curricular activities.  Food production plots were developed where each student was housed. Mine was at the beachside because my small nipa hut was near the beach.  Now, the area is occupied by the Zea mays Dormitory, the College Pavilion and the Center for Continuing Education (CEC) of the Visayas State University (VSU), Baybay, Leyte.

The one responsible for monitoring and evaluating our food production activities was the late Prof. Francisco G. Bascug.  He was dubbed as Mr. Food Production.  Every Monday morning convocation and flag raising ceremony, he was always on stage to announce his observations regarding our endeavors.  Moreover, he pronounced and broadcasted those who were to undergo several days of field work for misdemeanor.

One Monday morning along with some friends, I was dressed in working clothes with our bolo, pick-mattock and shovel ready to accept our respective punishments.  You know, I was caught by the guard-on-duty on a late Friday night violating the 10 p.m. campus curfew and bringing-in a gallon of tuba or toddy bought from the neighboring barrio.  Unexpectedly, my name was not called so I joyfully reported to my classes with the resolution never to engage myself with any naughty act again.  Later, I learned that my girlfriend thrashed the guard’s report.  She had access to the week-end reports because she was staying with the family of Mr. Food Production.  I can not forget her extra-ordinary act of saving me from humiliation but I failed to express my gratitude for her favorable action.

Presently, I am challenged to emulate Mr. Food Production.  However, the scenario is entirely different.  I will not be dealing with agricultural students but with a heterogeneous group of people.  A majority of them are used to consumerism most likely because they are moneyed.  On the other hand, there are numerous marginalized urban poor who are hungry.

In a macro environment, I am impressed with a number of positions or titles in large private corporations like sustainability manager and sustainability steward.  These positions or responsibilities may mean a decline in productivity so there is a need to sustain it.  According to a sustainability manager whom I met, “sustainability means striking a balance among profit, people and planet, the triple (P) bottom line balance.”  They are looking at ways that can sustain the business into the next generation while taking care of people and resources.  Isn’t this an application of the ethics of permaculture?

Indeed, there is a great challenge for us permaculture practitioners to respond to the problem of food scarcity.  First and foremost, we need to address the basic need of our respective “circles of influence”, our direct social responsibilities.

Food production per se is limited to our physical needs.  How about aiming also for the food that satisfies deeper hunger, the food that provides nourishment for eternal life? The Gospel according to St. John reminds us, “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures eternal life which the Son of Man will give you” (Jn 6:23).  nmg