An investigation into the transition from technological to ecological rice farming among resource poor farmers from the Philippine island of Bohol

Abstract

A conceptual framework influenced by the concept of moral ecology is developed and used to analyze the transition from technological (green revolution) to ecological (organic) rice farming by resource poor farmers from the Philippine island of Bohol. This Moral Ecology Framework (MEF) focuses on the epistemology of the two farming systems and how this influences management principles and practice. The orienting concepts of systemic understanding, exchange between society and the environment, local versus extra-local exchange and scope are integral to this analysis. The case study demonstrates how the ostracism of nature under the green revolution coupled with its inflexible production options affected the sustainability of some local rice farming systems. Whereas the transition to organic farming and the concomitant incorporation of ecological processes and more flexible production options has allowed local farmers to enhance the sustainability of their farming systems by altering the exchange processes within the socio-ecological system.