Status : Verified
| Personal Name | Morfe, Noemi Aliasas |
|---|---|
| Resource Title | Seeds of Change: Participatory Pathways Toward Community Agricultural Development and Social Enterprise, Experiences and Processes of SAAD-Supported and Independent Farmer Groups |
| Date Issued | July 2026 |
| Abstract | Smallholder farmers in the Philippines remain trapped in a cycle of poverty, with a poverty rate of 27%, nearly double the national average despite their role as the country’s primary food providers. While traditional agricultural programs often focus strictly on technical inputs and crop yields, they frequently overlook the "human element"; that is, the social processes of trust, identity, and collective action, that determine whether a community enterprise succeeds or fails. This study addresses that gap by exploring how participatory pathways enable farmers in Sorsogon to move beyond subsistence toward self-reliant social enterprises. The study utilized a qualitative descriptive phenomenological design to capture the authentic voices of 187 participants’ lived experiences. It examines how participatory social preparation strengthens capabilities, fosters self-efficacy, and builds cohesion while also investigating how social capital (trust, shared norms, and collective responsibility) supports resilience and sustainability. The study further considers structural barriers to market access and the enabling conditions that allow farmer-led social enterprises to thrive. This cohort included members from eight associations supported by the Department of Agriculture’s Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) program and four established independent farmer groups. Data gathered through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and observations were analyzed using a hybrid framework of Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Colaizzi’s method to ensure the findings remained anchored in the farmers' lived realities. Findings reveal that while participation in training acts as a gateway for skill expansion, it does not automatically lead to empowerment unless it is supported by deep-rooted social capital. Trust in leadership emerged as the critical backbone of resilience, allowing groups to rebuild after climate disasters and bypass predatory middlemen |
| Degree Course | Doctor of Social Development |
| Language | English |
| Keyword | Smallholder farmers; Participatory development; Social capital; Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE); Social enterprise; Capability expansion; Bayanihan; Sustainable development; Social Development Theory. |
| Material Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
Preliminary Pages
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Category : F - Regular work, i.e., it has no patentable invention or creation, the author does not wish for personal publication, there is no confidential information.
Access Permission : Open Access