By: Ben Fasciano

The Philippines’ Cabalian Bay is lovely on a calm evening in October, its nonetheless waters fringed with mountains and mangroves. The wealth of pure assets on this area contributes considerably to . But, these pure assets are below menace. Natural disasters, together with mudslides, typhoons, and floods, have brought about devastating losses of life and livelihoods prior to now 20 years.  

Fishing—as soon as a main supply of revenue—is in danger, with important lowers in fish populations due to overfishing. All of the whereas, mangrove deforestation has fragmented habitats and degraded coastal ecosystem well being.  

Bangka boats in Barangay Lipanto (Photograph Credit score: Ben Fasciano/EDF)

As local weather change intensifies the danger of future disasters and lack of biodiversity within the area, the neighborhood is searching for a brand new supply of livelihood to assist construct a extra resilient and sustainable future. And, they’ve discovered an answer in seaweed. 

On a latest journey to the Philippines, I visited Cabalian Bay that EDF helped set up in . The venture not solely seeks to assist native livelihoods but in addition to function a mannequin for sustainable seaweed farming to be carried out by different communities in the area.  

Why seaweed? Seaweed quickly attracts down carbon because it grows, with the potential to act as a “.” Seaweed is greater than only a meals, sure seaweed merchandise have the potential to retailer carbon long-term (e.g. development materials) or present inexperienceder options to high-air pollution merchandise like fertilizers, fuels, and plastics. World demand for seaweed is rising quickly, providing coastal communities a new livelihood that profits individuals and nature.  

The farin Cabalian Bay is now run by The Juanas Lipanto Affiliation, a community-based group composed primarily of girls, who view seaweed farming as a possible supply of supplementary revenue for his or her households.  

Lipanto Affiliation is already evident. This December, they earned their first revenue and acquired 5 50kg luggage of rice that had been shared throughout the neighborhood. They plan to develop greater than 10 instances as a lot seaweed on the farm in 2025, growing revenue and meals safety for his or her membe 

Members of the Juanas Lipanto Affiliation getting ready traces of seaweed for planting (Photograph Credit score: Ben Fasciano/EDF)

The Juanas Lipanto Affiliation attend trainings from , a Philippines provider of responsibly sourced seaweed and a 2024 Earthshot Prize finalist, the place they discover ways to conduct farm operations, grow seaweed, and handle the enterprise facets of the farm.

By offering these coaching packages and shopping for seaweed at a premium value relative to the market price, world seaweed markets obtained by small-scale growers within the Philippines.  

On the day of my go to, the members of Juanas Lipanto Affiliation were getting ready new traces of seaweed for planting. They patiently helped me as I joined in and clumsily tied the small items of seaweed to the road.  The work was accomplished in a social method with a lot of chuckle a shared lunch, eaten from banana leaves laid out as a platter. 

2024 Plaque of Recognition awarded by the mayor of St. Bernard (Photograph Credit score: Pleasure Endraca)

The livelihood initiative has additionally been supported by the Native Authorities Unit (LGU), which has agreed to contribute funding to the expansion of seaweed farming within the space. This assist is a testomony to the work accomplished by EDF’s native workforce to construct relationships and belief with members of the LGU, together with the mayor, who awarded EDF with a 2024 Plaque of Recognition for their dedication and assist for the wellbeing of native communities and ecosystems  

I with native authorities, EDF helped facilitate a lincomes exchange in Bohol for the Juanas Lipanto Affiliation and LGU leaders. The aim was to empower these teams with sensible data on sustainable seaweed farming and enterprise abilities, such as coaching in Neighborhood-managed Financial savings and Credit score Affiliation (CoMSCA), a savs.  

The native EDF workforce at an occasion to show over the water high quality testing tools to Southern Leyte State College (Photograph Credit score: Honey Grace Bayron)

The members of the Juanas Lipanto Affiliation additionally visited close by farms, the place they heard firsthand from how seaweed farming reworked their lives and how they handled challenges on the way in which to set uping a profitable native seaweed trade. Consequently, they left impressed and higher outfitted to construct a robust seaweed trade in Cabalian Bay. 

Sundown over Cabalian Bay (Photograph Credit score: Ben Fasciano/EDF)

As I departed, I mirrored on how native collaborations and data sharing contributed on to neighborhood resilience and livelihoods. I used to be impressed by the work of EDF’s native workforce to identify companions and construct sturdy interpersonal relationships. This was vital to creating certain that teams, such because the Juanas Lipanto Affiliation, can be supported and empowered to proceed growing a robust regional seaweed farming sector for a extra sustainable future. It’s thrilling to see how a lot progress has been made through seaweed farming in Cabalian B, and I can’t wait to see how this neighborhood thrives sooner or later.