Container gardening is using recycled materials such as bottles or cartons to grow all manner of fruits, herbs and vegetables at home. In the Philippines, it is a critical survival tool for many families, enabling them to sustainably produce their own basil, squash, string beans, thyme, tomatoes and more.

Despite national poverty levels steadily decreasing since 2006, armed conflict and national disasters have kept food deficits regular. The 2015 Global Hunger Index rated hunger in the Philippines as “serious,” and the World Food Programme provides meals for 65,000 school children each year.

Newspapers like  The Manila Times have published guides on container gardening and materials. In fact, this new trend of nutritional empowerment has spread to 21 million households, giving many families the ability to feed themselves regardless of income. In an interview with The Manila Times, John Marchese of Seminis Home Garden Seed said container gardeners today had access to a huge variety of effective seeds that could be matched to their climate, soil and other circumstances.

Container gardening allows growers like Jojo Rom to save space and still produce an abundance of food, while also passing on knowledge to those around him. This way, Rom encourages others to start their own gardens, avoid the cost of ever-inflating food prices and help the planet. Some families are selling their extra crops to food markets and neighbors to generate income, having been able to produce more seeds for others while still growing enough food for themselves.

Container gardening fights hunger at home and climate change for the world, all the while reconnecting people with nature and teaching valuable skills. The next generation of the Filipino working class may never experience hunger in the same way if these practices are passed on and used to the fullest extent by those needing a path out of hunger and toward prosperity.

– Aaron Walsh

Photo: Flickr