Welcome to clam waters: Saving endangered giant clams through ecotourism,

…one of the best ways to stop people from harvesting the giant clams is to educate them the importance of the species and how they help the fishing industry.

BY MANILA BULLETIN AGRICULTURE

  

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By Henrylito D. Tacio

The country’s waters are teeming with biological diversity (biodiversity). Unfortunately, some of the marine species thriving in them are now being threatened; some of them in fact are facing extinction.

Imagine the children’s children of today’s younger generations may no longer see those species in their original habitat. Worse, some of them may already be extinct so that future generations get a glimpse of these species only in photographs and films.

Such is the case of the giant clams, locally called taklobo. They are the iconic residents of coral reef ecosystems. They serve as habitat for fish, invertebrates and other marine organisms.

Giant clams are not facing extinction yet, but the Switzerland-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed them as vulnerable species as their population has declined by least 50%.

To halt giant clams from becoming extinct, the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP-MSI) introduced giant clam cultures in the 1980s, where cultured giant clams were restocked around the country.

Giant clams are harvested for their shells and meat. (Winston Plaza)

Taklobo Tours

The Island Garden City of Samal was one of the areas where the said program was initiated. In barangay Adecor of Kaputian District, the protected sanctuary houses over 3,700 giant clams.

The Marine Reserve Park and Multipurpose Hatchery, as it is called, is under the supervision of the local government unit of IGACOS. It is now a project of the Davao del Norte State College (DNSC).

The DNSC is partnering with Adecor United Fisherfolk Organization to save the giant clams from becoming extinct in the area. They believe that one of the best ways to stop people from harvesting the giant clams is to educate them the importance of the species and how they help the fishing industry.

That’s how the Taklobo Tours Conservation Tourism and Livelihood Opportunities for Coastal Communities came to be. It was officially launched in 2013 but closed during the pandemic. It was reopened early this year.

The two-hour Taklobo Tours includes an hour of snorkeling in the area. Visitors are brought by means of a motorized banca from the seashore to the floating cottage, where they are oriented about the importance of giant clams. The carrying capacity of the docking area is 30-35 persons while only 10-15 persons are allowed in the viewing deck.

After giving some instructions, the visitors are told to wear a life vest and given snorkel and mask to those who are interested. Then, they swim to the area where the giant clams are perfectly arranged on the seabed. As the water is clear, they can see the endangered species up close. Touching the giant clams is strictly not allowed.

Taklobo Tours is now one of Samal’s most popular activities for tourists. “Awesome and inspiring marine sanctuary that protects several species of giant clams,” commented one tourist who has visited the place. “With our snorkel masks on, we were led underwater by a certified guide to witness firsthand these amazing sea creatures.  We also learned about their habitat, life cycle and feeding. A definite must-see.”

Before they can visit the restricted area where the giant clams are being raised, tourists need to attend a lecture first to know the importance of giant clams and what they need to do when they are on the waters. (Henrylito Tacio)

Empowering the fishers

DNSC officials said the 14-hectare giant clam sanctuary helps empower and capacitate locals to become tourist guides and conservation warriors. “The success of the program proves that responsible tourism can flourish in a protected area for environmental conservation,” they said.

Joel Gonzaga, a member of the organization, agrees. “We raise awareness by informing the people who come how endangered these giant clams are and that there are now laws regarding its preservation,” he said. “It is now prohibited to harvest them and there are some consequences if they do so.”

When the program started, there was resistance from the community as giant clams had long been a source of food and income for most of them. With Taklobo Tours becoming popular, they are happy that they have supported the initiative.

The Samal marine sanctuary is just one of the beneficiaries of the Giant Clam Stock Enhancement Program of UP-MSI. So, whatever happened to others? To answer this question, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) funded a giant clam program to revisit these restocking sites.

Aside from assessing the current clam diversity and abundance, the program also aimed to advance culture and rearing protocols for giant clams through the use of modern molecular approaches.

This is the place where tourists are oriented before they can go into the water. (Henrylito Tacio)

Giant clams of the Philippines

There are actually 12 species of giant clams and eight of them can be found in the Philippine waters.  The giant clams, known in the science world as Tridacna gigas and considered the true giant clam, can grow larger than 4 feet across and weigh more than 180 kilograms.

The seven other species are: Tridacna deresa (smooth giant clam), T. squamosa (fluted giant clam or “hadgdan-hagdan”), T. hippopus  (strawberry clam or “kukong-kabayo”), T. crocea (boring clam), T. maxima (elongated giant clam), T. hippopus porcellanus (China clam), and T. noae ningaloo (Noah’s giant clam or teardrop clam).

The assessment conducted by the DOST-PCAARRD funded study showed that the 8 species are still found in the country’s waters. Surveys from 2018 to 2021 revealed high densities of restocked giant clams at several study locations where natural recruits of giant clams were also detected in 4 out 8 restocking sites.

“The presence of T. gigas recruits indicate that restocked clams are naturally spawning and producing new giant clams that may eventually grow into adults,” wrote Patrick C. Cabaitan, Roger G. Dolorosa, Girley S. Gumanao, and Cecilia G. Conaco in their collaborative report, “Giant Clams in the Philippines: Prevailing in a changing ocean through research and conservation.

“While giant clams are still prevalent in the Philippine reefs, their overall abundance and diversity remain low,” the four authors wrote. “Overharvesting, poaching, habitat destruction, and bleaching remain among the major challenges against the giant clam populations.”

The researchers have found some areas which are still home to an abundant and diverse community of giant clams.  “The presence of giant clams and juveniles suggests that local recruitment is successful,” they contend.

Not "killer clams"

Giant clams are the largest living bivalves. Despite their classic movie depictions as “killer clams,” there are no reliable cases of people being trapped and drowned by giant clams. Generally, they occupy coral reef habitats – typically within 20 meters of the surface. They are commonly found in shallow lagoons and reef flats and are characteristically embedded in sandy substrates or those composed of coral rubble.

Giant clams also provide shelter for different organisms. Serving as substrates of corals and sponges, marine biologists say giant clams – which can live in the wild reportedly up to over 100 years – help increase the residence of fishes and act as hiding places for other marine organisms.

“Like most corals, some anemones, and other reef organisms, giant clams utilize a combination of methods to obtain food,” explains Oceana, an international group focused solely on protecting the world’s oceans. “The majority of their energy is derived from symbiotic algae living within their cells, providing the clams with excess energy that they make via photosynthesis.”

In return, “the algae have a safe to live and receive the nutrients necessary to photosynthesize. The giant clams provide those nutrients by filtering feeding small prey from the water above the reef surface, which it siphons through its body. The beautiful, bright colors characteristic of individual giant clams is actually a result of the symbiotic algae.”

As giant clams cannot literally move due to their heavy weight (as much as 250 kilograms), they reproduce via external fertilization, where eggs and sperm are released into the water column at the same time. Although they are hermaphrodites, they cannot self-fertilize. “They are able to reproduce with other individuals that are close by,” Oceana explains.

Prehistoric marine mammals

Giant clams may have existed even during the time when dinosaurs roamed around this planet.

“We need to do something now before giant clams become extinct,” urges Dr. Rafael D. Guerrero III, a fishery expert and an academician with the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST).

Dr. Guerrero, however, believes there’s still hope for giant clams. “To save our giant clams, we should protect them in the wild from poachers (particularly foreigners) and promote their sea farming,” he suggested.

Photos by Henrylito Tacio and Winston Plaza

From the vine: Growing grapes for winery and agritourism activities

Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop dreams that the Philippines could produce its own brand of wine which will be famous not only in the country, but around the world as well.

BY MANILA BULLETIN AGRICULTURE

  

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By Henrylito D. Tacio

Wine is as old as history. In fact, the Bible has its own share of wine stories. The most famous one happened in Cana, where transformation of water into wine is the first miracle attributed to Jesus, as recorded in the Gospel of John.

Wine has been produced for thousands of years. The earliest remnants of wine as we now know it was discovered in the site of Jajji Firuz Tepe, in the northern Zagros Mountains of Iran.

When we speak of wine, we are referring to the fermented juice of grapes, particularly Vitis vinifera. When other fruits are fermented to produce a kind of wine, the name of the fruit is included, as in the terms peach wine and blackberry wine.

More than half of the world’s wine is produced by only four countries: Italy, France, Spain and the United States. The following countries contributed less than half of the world’s wine needs: Argentina, China, Australia, Chile, Germany, South Africa, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Hungary, and New Zealand.

That said, new and unexpected countries are constantly gaining recognition for both their wine production and the high quality of wines produced. Who knows, the Philippines might join this list in the future.

That’s what Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop is dreaming of–that the Philippines could produce its own brand of wine which will be famous not only in the country, but around the world as well.

White wine is stored in stainless steel containers. (Henrylito Tacio)

That’s a tall order, indeed. “I have always been fascinated with wine,” recalls Atty. Taglucop, who’s not only a practicing lawyer but also owner of a travel agency.

In their travels abroad–Europe, United States, Canada, and other Asian countries–he and his wife always take the time to visit vineyards and taste wines. He wondered why the Philippines isn’t producing its own wine when the country is number 135 among other countries in wine consumption per capita.

Atty. Taglucop thinks of producing his own brand of wine. But before he could do it, he needed good sources of grapes–lots of them. And he discovered that only a handful of Filipinos are planting the crop.

So, he started growing grapes as a hobby in barangay Tacunan in Tugbok District of Davao City. He planted mostly seedless table grapes and wine varieties in his 3.5-hectare farm. “In the beginning, my sources of planting materials were local,” he said.

After three years of planting grapes, he found out that not all grapes were good. Some varieties could not be eaten as they were sour. There were sweet varieties but the fruits they produced were few and far-between. Others were attacked by pests and diseases. All these were the reasons, he believed, why most of those who planted grapes didn’t prosper and discontinued what they had started.

The period during which flowers are open is called ‘bloom’ and can last from one to three weeks. (Henrylito Tacio)

Despite all these obstacles, Atty. Taglucop persisted. He studied the right ways to grow grapes through internet research.  He sourced seeds and cuttings every time he and his wife went out of the country. He experimented with various varieties of grapes from temperate to semi-temperate countries.

He planted about 60 varieties on his farm. Not all of those he planted thrived. He eliminated the varieties that didn't grow well, didn’t produce enough fruits, or whose fruits were sour. Varieties that could not survive the tropical climate were also discarded, along with those susceptible to pests and diseases.

“Planting grapes is not easy,” admitted Atty. Taglucop, who is also an agricultural engineering graduate. To enhance his chances, he decided to enroll in a post graduate Certificate Course on Winemaking and Viticulture with the University of California-Davis Campus (UC-Davis), the leading university supporting the vineyards and wineries in Napa Valley and beyond. After two years of study online and visiting the university several times, he finally received his certificate of completion.

After eight years of experimenting and trials, he found seven world-renowned varieties of grapes that have good potential for production and making quality wines in his area. Not necessarily in the order, these are:  Shiraz (from Australia), Moldova (from Ukraine), Chardonnay and Petite Sirah (from France), Freisa (from Italy), Moscato (from Israel), and Chenin Blanc (sourced from Gran Monte, Thailand). He also has a sweet and aromatic variety which he called Davao Delicious from a Muscat variety parentage.

Actually, Atty. Taglucop admitted that he started growing grapes as a hobby, albeit with an eye on farm tourism.  “But the big dream is really the winery because that’s the main thing in other countries,” he said.

Right now, The Vineyard Davao, as he calls the place, is not yet open to the public as he is still in the production stage to increase his inventory of bottled wines before the winery opens. He is not keen on engaging solely in the business of “grape picking" as the same may not be economically viable since you harvest grapes only every six months. “In-between, what will you do since you don’t have any harvest? So, you don’t have business. You close the farm for business but you still have to spend to maintain the vineyard,” he said.

In other countries, people who grow grapes have wineries, so they are open all the time because wine is available all year-round. People can visit the place even if the grapes are not bearing fruit because they can always have wine, he said.

Although it is not yet open to the public, some people have already enjoyed tasting his wines straight from the barrels in his cellar through privately arranged wine tasting and food pairing events. The farm caters to a minimum of 10 persons per group.  Interested groups must book first before coming or else they will be denied entry.

Growing grapes is easy in theory, but in reality, it is difficult. In fact, even after eight years, he keeps on experimenting. According to him, he plants the seedlings at around one-foot deep. “The roots of full-grown vines can go as deep as 15 feet although most of the roots grow up in the top three feet of soil,” he said.

Planting materials are kept in the shade before they are fully exposed to sunlight. (Henrylito Tacio)

Since grapes are creeping plants (vines), they have to be provided with trellises. For him, the easiest and most economical trellis to construct and maintain is vertical shoot positioning with four wires, 8 feet above the ground and is well anchored on each end.

From planting up to around one year and before the first pruning to make the vines bear fruits, he fertilizes his grape vines with complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and calcium nitrate plus supplementary micronutrients. Fertilization, a necessity in grape growing, is done every month.

He also broadcasts chicken dung and/or vermicast once every six months. “During pruning and fruiting, we fertilize them according to the specific needs of the vines during its phenological stage,” he said. “It is advisable to take a leaf, petiole or at least soil sample to optimize inputs.”

If there is no rain for a week, he irrigates the crop twice. “But considering that we always have rain events at least twice a week, we don’t irrigate our grapes most of the time,” he said.

Harvesting is done twice a year. He harvests 5-10 kilograms from his fully-grown mature vines. “We have grape picking activity during harvest,” he said.

Depending on the weather, he prunes the canes in order for the grapes to bear fruits again. Pruning is done at least one month after harvesting. “We don’t want to prune during rainy days because of possible fungal/bacterial/viral infection on freshly cut canes,” he said. “Rain events are also not good during the flowering stage and harvesting season.”

The cuttings after pruning are used for seedling propagation. Cuttings from diseased or infected vines are discarded. “We cut the canes to 3-4 nodes, bundle them in 20s to 30s, soak them in water with small fungicide and chlorine to sanitize and bury them in river sand,” he said.

The cuttings are taken out from where they were buried out once they have already rooted. “That is the time we bag them separately,” he said, adding that the size of the bag is 6-8 inches by 12-14 inches.

Before they can be transplanted in the field, the seedlings are exposed to morning sunlight only within 20 days. “After that, they are exposed to 75% sunlight for the next two months or so. Then to full sunlight at least one month before they are transferred to the field,” he said.

As stated earlier, the grapes are grown mainly for wine (although some of them can be eaten). “Wine making starts with harvesting the grapes at the optimum time: right brix (sweetness measurement), right acidity and right flavor,” he said.

The harvested grapes are processed into wine within five hours from harvest to optimize flavors. “Only the full-ripe and undamaged grapes are processed into wine,” he said.

These grapes are ready for crushing. (Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop)

After the grapes are harvested, they are transported to the winery, sorted for quality grapes, then crushed and destemmed.

For red wine, the crushed grapes (juice, skins, flesh and seeds) are fermented for two weeks. These are pressed afterwards and aged in barrels for six to 12 months. After that, they are filtered and bottled.

For white wine, the crushed grapes are immediately pressed, fermented without skins, seeds and pulps for two weeks or so. These are aged in stainless steel for at least six months and then filtered and bottled.

Right now, one of his dreams is to put up a restaurant, as well as wine tasting rooms in the middle of his vineyard in Tacunan. “Guests and visitors can stroll, harvest grapes, do grape stomping, do wine-tasting and food pairing, dine, chill and experience vineyard feels without necessarily going out of the country,” he said. “Hopefully, this dream can be materialized soon.”

He can do so only if he has enough wine already. So far, he has about 20,000 bottles of wine available. “We intend to stockpile around 50,000 bottles before we open the winery to the public,” he said.

Purple grapes. (Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop)

With a postgraduate Certificate Course on Winemaking and Viticulture from UC-Davis, he is confident to produce some of the country’s best wines.

When asked what makes grape growing and wine making challenging, he replied: “Our weather remains the main challenge to grape growing and winemaking. In a humid and rainy environment like ours, fungus thrives. If not properly dealt with, quality grapes will never be had; worse, the whole vineyard will possibly be wiped out.

“Furthermore, resources or information on grape growing and even proper education, technology and proper planting materials are not available here,” he added. “It is really challenging. So, we need to be resourceful.”

Atty. Taglucop believes that grape growing and wine making are highly intertwined. “As the saying goes, ‘One cannot make good wines from bad grapes.’ In like manner, ‘One can make bad wines from good grapes.’ So, it is important to study not only on how to grow grapes but also on making wine – the proper unadulterated wines that we all can be proud of.”

Aside from the 3.5-hectare farm in Tacunan, Davao City, he also grows grapes in a 10-hectare farm in Barangay Kipilas in Kitaotao, Bukidnon. “In God’s time, we may start a small harvest next year,” he said. “This will support the winery in Davao. Who knows, it may become another winery site in the future if God will allow it.”

People can visit the farm and do harvesting. (Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop)

Atty. Taglucop has all the support from his family. His wife, Jenny, manages their travel agency (Infinity Travel) and Taglucop Strawberry Hills, a glamping resort located in Lorega, Bukidnon. The couple has four children: Hugh Gabriel, Fiona Gabrielle, Zeki Gabriel and Zia Gabrielle. “They are all named Gabriel because we prayed that they become ‘men and women of God,’” he said.

To prepare him for the future expansion of the family business, the eldest son, Hugh Gabriel, is taking up Bachelor of Science in Oenology and Viticulture at the University of Adelaide in Australia. It is a four-year course. “This is for sustainability and continuity and to further enhance the quality and integrity of our vineyard and wines,” Atty. Taglucop pointed out.

“Dreams do come true,” Atty. Taglucop stressed. “Yes. However, they do not just fall on your lap while you are sleeping. You have to work (hard for it to happen). Always look at the bright side of things. Be optimistic but also be ready to fail. For us, things happened because we love what we are doing.

“We did not think of money or business at the start,” he continued. “It was very challenging but the joy of this kind of farming sustained us. The wishful thinking of living in a vineyard (vineyard feels), enjoying pure fermented grape juice (wine) straight from the barrels and seeing your children running around and picking sweet and delicious grapes straight from the vine is something.”

Meanwhile, the experiments continue. “We will do our best until God leads us to a beautiful future,” Atty. Taglucop concluded.

Photos by Henrylito Tacio and courtesy of Atty. Ferdinand Taglucop

Happy bee day: Four beekeepers who do their best for the bees

BY JAZZMINE QUIAMBAO

May 20, 2023 10:01 AM

  

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May 20 is World Bee Day! Bees deserve to be recognized for how hard they work for our planet as its primary pollinator and their role in the biodiversity which humans depend on for survival.

Aside from keeping our environment alive, bees also produce plenty of products that humans enjoy, such as honey and beeswax, which can be processed into other products which are both healthy and helpful.

READ:Why are bees important?

The rearing of bees is called apiculture, and it’s a profitable venture for plenty of farmers in the Philippines. Beekeeping can be done almost anywhere, whether it be on a farm, in one’s backyard, or even in the middle of the city.

In honor of World Bee Day, here are four beekeepers who care for and work with bees:

John Patrick Maliwat aka The Millennial Beekeeper

From a tricycle driver to a successful beekeeper, that’s the story of John Patrick Maliwat of Nagcarlan, Laguna.

From a tricycle driver to being the Millennial Beekeeper, Maliwat enjoys his beefarming career in Nagcarlan. (John Patrick Maliwat)

Maliwat had been a tricycle driver for four years before he decided he needed to find a career that could better support the needs of his family, particularly to support his father’s dialysis.

A friend encouraged him to learn beekeeping as there were many opportunities abroad to work as a beekeeper. Maliwat took his friend’s advice and spent his savings to attend multiple beekeeping training sessions to fully learn the skill.

However, his hopes to go abroad had been dashed by the arrival of the Covid-19 virus in the Philippines, and travel restrictions had been imposed. Maliwat was initially discouraged, but then thought that since he had gained the skills necessary, why not start a bee farm in Nagcarlan?

Maliwat started from a single bee colony (complete beehive), and over time, his farm has grown to have ten colonies of European honeybees and about 300 colonies of stingless bees in seven different locations in Nagcarlan. He is now a full-time bee farmer and is even a consultant to other bee farms. Maliwat is now known by many as the Millennial Beekeeper.

There are several bee by-products that Maliwat derives from bee farming – honey, bee pollen, and propolis.

Maliwat quoted Albert Einstein, saying, “If the bee disappeared off the face of the Earth, Man would only have for years left to live,” he said. “‘Not only that bee farming helps nature, but it also provides income.”

READ:Former tricycle driver in Nagcarlan now makes a profit in beekeeping

Toby Tamayo of the Lotus Valley Farm

Before establishing the Lotus Valley Farm, Toby Tamayo was already a professional beekeeper.

Tamayo revived the land of the Lotus Valley Farm to become a thriving environment not just for bees, but for all kinds of wildlife.

However, Tamayo didn’t settle being just a beekeeper. Upon seeing the poor state of the five-hectare land he acquired in 2005, Tamayo made it his goal to revive it.

Using his knowledge and experience in permaculture, Tamayo started planting native trees including fruit-bearing species on the slopes of the mountain. He also practiced assisted regeneration, which means he did not clear the existing vegetation but let it grow while intercropping proper trees and plants.

Tamayo’s efforts were not in vain because soon his land had become a thriving forest farm that was filled with different crops, wildlife that previously evacuated had returned, and it had especially become a wonderful environment for bees.

The Lotus Valley Farm employs organic and sustainable practices, and that includes how they harvest honey from their bees. Their practices had led their honey to become in demand for high-end consumers.

While he had his success as a beekeeper, it was good that Tamayo didn’t settle. His efforts have proven his appreciation for nature, he was able to revive a land while making it profitable, and has given his bees a better home to do their noble work.

READ:Beekeeper’s La Union farm is proof of the harmony between sustainability and profitability

Mark Anthony Moncayo of the Honey House Honeybee Farm

Bees don’t just provide honey and beeswax, but they’re also a great way to attract tourists.

That’s how the Honey House Honeybee Farm makes use of their bees. The farm was established in 2016 by Mark Anthony Moncayo and his father.

Aside from selling the bees’ by-products, they’ve also marketed their bee farm to be a tourist spot. Their farm is located in Lipa, Batangas, and is relatively close to the beaches and other tourist spots in the city.

Their farm is on a 400 sqm land just at the back of their home. Despite the small size, Moncayo realized that there were plenty of people interested in the bees, so they took the opportunity to advertise their farm to be a good place to witness the bees work. Visitors are able to drop by and take a tour of the bee farm and learn about them face-to-face.

The Honey House Honeybee Farm set up demo boxes that make it safe for people to get close and see the bees. (Mark Anthony Moncayo)

The Honey House Honeybee Farm set up demo boxes in the farm for guests to get close to the bees without the risk of being stung or bitten. They also offer free samples of their products, which are honey, honey cider vinegar, and honeycombs.

Of course, like most agribusinesses, there were a lot of challenges the Moncayo family had to overcome. But despite the ups and downs, Moncayo is proud to have been a beekeeper for the past seven years. “What’s enjoyable about beekeeping is seeing your customers happy when they see the bees, “ he said. “At the same time, they could taste our products. Then they would say that they would be back with their family to taste the honey.”

READ:The bees are busy at this Batangas house of honey

Mac Bergonio of Los Pepes Farm

After taking up BS Marine Transportation and working on a yacht for almost ten years, becoming a beekeeper was a turn of events that Mac Bergonio didn’t expect.

Mac Bergonio is a former seaman that turned to beekeeping. (Jerome Sagcal)

Bergonio aspired to be a sea captain, but his loss of hearing in one ear had unfortunately disqualified him from the position. He returned to land to start afresh and soon was introduced to stingless beekeeping from his father-in-law.

Bergonio’s father-in-law took an interest in stingless bees and hunted for them in Indang, Cavite, but by 2014 he had moved to caring for native ducks and gave the bees to Bergonio while teaching him everything necessary for their care.

He picked up on it easily, and soon Bergonio established the Los Pepes Farm, a farm that sells raw honey, pollen granules, lip balm, throat spray, and other products that could be derived from propolis.

Aside from their products, what makes the Los Pepes Farm unique are the creative structures that the bees had their home in. Bergonio had built beehives that are shaped like a ship and a minibus, while also having hives made from upcycled materials such as an old chair, an electric post, and even a school trolley.

Incorporating his past as a seaman, Bergonio built a beehive that looks like a ship. (Jerome Sagcal)

For Bergonio, bees can live anywhere and constructing beehives either through old material or natural casings allows him to care for more bees. Due to their unconventional and creative hives, visiting the Los Pepes Farm is akin to visiting a bee museum, which is a unique experience in itself.

READ:Life happens: why this aspiring sea captain pivoted to stingless beekeeping Stingless bee farm in Cavite is a “museum” of alternative beehives

Bees are one of the busiest workers in the world, and their work is critical for the planet’s survival. Aside from giving them their due appreciation, beekeepers who work with bees and give them the best and healthiest environment are also worth giving recognition to.

We hope your honey tastes a bit sweeter today! Happy World Bee Day!

Water shortage threatens food production

Water is an important resource that's needed for humans to survive and thrive. What happens when a shortage looms?

BY MANILA BULLETIN AGRICULTURE

  

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By Henrylito D. Tacio

“Many well-informed individuals see a future of water shortages, but few have connected the dots to see that a future of water shortages will also be a future of food shortages,” said Lester R. Brown, an American environmental analyst.

He is the founder of Worldwatch Institute and Earth Policy Institute, both based in Washington, D.C. “One of the great pioneer environmentalists” is how BBC Radio commentator Peter Day described him.

“Water shortages lag only climate change and population growth as a threat to the human future,” said Brown in an exclusive interview with this author. “The challenge is not to get enough water to drink, but to get enough water to produce our food. We drink, in one form or another, perhaps 4 liters of water per day. But the food we consume each day requires 2,000 liters of water to produce, or 500 times as much.”

A closer look at the available statistics proves him right. When this writer visited the regional office of Food and Agriculture (FAO) in Bangkok, Thailand, I found out that agriculture is by far the biggest consumer of water around the world. In thickly-populated Asia, agriculture accounts for 86% of the total annual water withdrawal, compared with 49% in North and Central America and 38% in Europe.

“Agriculture is where future water shortages will be most acute,” wrote Michael S. Serrill in “Time” some years back in a special report.

Rice, consumed by 60% of the world’s population, is a case in point. “Water has contributed most to the growth in rice production for the past 30 years,” said the Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Irrigation-farmed rice draws heavily on the resource.

In his book, Water: The International Crisis, Robin Clark reports that an average farmer needs 5,000 liters of water to produce one kilogram of rice. “Rice growing is a heavy consumer of water,” agrees the IRRI report, “Water: A Looming Crisis.”

The IRRI report projected that most Asian countries, including the Philippines, will have severe water problems by 2025. This water shortage could seriously threaten rice production in the region.

This is bad news for Filipinos who consider rice as their “deepest comfort food.” On average, Filipinos consume 114-120 kilograms of rice per capita per year. That’s almost double the world average of 65 kilograms per capita per year, according to Dr. Eufemio Rasco, Jr., former director of the Philippine Rice Research Institute.

“The link between water and food is strong,” Brown reminded.

About 5,000 liters of water is needed to produce one kilogram of rice. (Henrylito Tacio)

British author John Robbins, the man behind the book The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life, has managed to document the robust connection of these two resources. To produce one pound (0.453 kilogram) of lettuce or one pound of tomatoes, 23 gallons of water is needed.

For one pound of potatoes, 24 gallons of water is needed; 25 gallons for one pound of wheat, 33 gallons for one pound of carrots, and 49 gallons for one pound of apples, according to Robbins.

Meat production also consumes a lot of water. “Agriculture uses about 70% of the world’s available freshwater, and one-third of that is used to grow the grain fed to livestock,” the Worldwatch Institute reports.

Beef, the meat used in most fast food outlets, is by far the most water-intensive of all meats. “The more than 15,000 liters of water used per kilogram is far more than is required by a number of staple foods, such as eggs (3,300 liters per kilogram), milk (1,000 liters), or potatoes (255 liters),” the Worldwatch Institute says.

The US Department of Commerce 1992 Census of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranch Irrigation Survey, published in 1994, reported that one pound of pork needs at least 1,630 gallons of water to produce but in contrast one pound of beef requires 5,214 gallons of water.

“Producing beef is much more resource-intensive than producing pork or chicken, requiring roughly three to five times as much land to generate the same amount of protein,” the Worldwatch Institute points out.

Around the world, more than 40% of wheat, rye, oats and corn production is fed to animals, along with 250 million tons of soybeans and other oilseeds. “Feeding grain to livestock improves their fertility and growth, but it sets up a de facto competition for food between man and people,” the institute says.

Global meat consumption and consumption have increased rapidly in recent decades, with harmful effects on the environment and public health as well as on the economy, according to research done by the institute’s Nourishing the Planet project.

“Worldwide meat production has tripled over the last four decades and increased 20% in just the last 10 years,” it said. “Meanwhile, industrial countries are consuming growing amounts of meat, nearly double the quantity than in developing countries.”

A huge volume of water is also used in aquaculture or fish farming. “Fish farming is more advantageous than raising livestock. “For every kilogram of dry feed, we get one kilogram of fish meat,” said Dr. Uwe Lohmeyer of the Deutsche Gesselschaft fur Technische Zusammernarbeit (GTZ), a German Technical Cooperation. “This is far more favorable rate than in the case of say, pigs: to produce the same quantity of pork, a farmer – given the same quality of inputs – has to provide three kilograms of feed.”

Aquaculture needs a lot of water to raise fish. (Henrylito Tacio)

It goes without saying that water is indeed the world’s most important resource. “We’re surrounded by a hidden world of water,” pointed out Stephen Leahy, a Canadian journalist and author, told this author. “Liters and liters of it are consumed by everything we eat, and everything we use and buy.”

That’s what he calls a “water footprint.” In his book, aptly entitled Your Water Footprint, he defines it as the amount of water ‘consumed’ to make, grow or produce something. “I use the word consumed to make it clear this is water that can no longer be used for anything else,” he explained.

According to Leahy, one of the biggest surprises (while writing the book) was learning how small direct use of water for drinking, cooking and showering is by comparison. For instance, he found out that flushing toilets is the biggest water daily use – not showers, as commonly believed. While low-flow shower heads and toilets are great water savers, the water footprint concept can lead to even bigger reductions in water consumption.

“For example, green fuels may not be so green from a water consumption perspective,” Leahy wrote. “Biodiesel made from soybeans has an enormous water footprint, averaging more than 11,000 liters per liter of biodiesel. And this doesn’t include the large amounts of water needed for processing. Why so much water? Green plants aren’t ‘energy-dense,’ so it takes a lot of soy to make the fuel.”

Cattle’s meat, beef, also has a big footprint, over 11,000 liters for a kilo, according to Leahy. “If a family of four served chicken instead of beef they’d reduce their water use by an astonishing 900,000 liters a year. That’s enough to fill an Olympic size pool to a depth of two feet.”

“Water isn’t just a commodity. It is a source of life,” says Dr. Sandra Postel, director of the Massachusetts-based Global Water Policy Project.

In an article we wrote for Reader’s Digest, she believed water problems will trail climate change as a threat to the human future. “Although the two are related, water has no substitutes,” she explained. “We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable energy sources. But there is no transitioning away from water to something else.”

The Philippines is touted to be a water-rich country. “We are an agricultural country and that says a lot regarding the importance of water supply,” said Senator Grace Poe in a statement some years back. “We have provinces that have year-round sufficient water supply, enabling their farmers to plant and harvest year-round, as well.”

On a macro-level, it appears there is plenty of water. “But we are now experiencing problems and, in some instances, some areas (of the country) are suffering from lack of water,” said Elisea Gozun when she was still the head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Today, the problem is getting worse. The reason: watersheds are being denuded of their forest cover. “We cannot talk of providing sustainable water to the people unless we protect the sources of the commodity – the watersheds,” Gozun said.

About 5,000 liters of water is needed to produce one kilogram of rice. (Henrylito Tacio)

Watersheds constitute about 75% of the total land area of the Philippines. “Our country has a total of 119 proclaimed and 154 priority watersheds with a total land area of 1,376,455 hectares and 11,690,695 hectares, respectively,” wrote Leila C. America in The PCAARRD Monitor, published by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The areas of proclaimed watersheds range from 20 to 180,460 hectares while the area of priority watershed ranges from 365 to 837,149 hectares. “Water is a key watershed resource that can be used for power generation, agriculture, industry, domestic, drinking and others,” America wrote.

Water covers over 70 percent of the earth’s surface and is a major force in controlling the climate by storing vast quantities of heat. About 97.5 percent of all water is found in the ocean and only the remaining 2.5 percent is considered fresh water. Unfortunately, 99.7 percent of that fresh water is unavailable, trapped in glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas.

“Put in another way,” the UN food agency explains, “if all the earth’s water were to fit in a gallon jug (4 liters), the available fresh water would be just over one tablespoon.”

The famous Brown has this suggestion about the looming water crisis: “The most important thing we can do to cope with water scarcity is to use water more efficiently in agriculture.”

Photos by Henrylito D. Tacio