Plastic is the plague of our modern time. We are working with some groups to find solutions. The picture shows the Amihan Brothers collecting plastic waste on the beach in Mangihay, Mati.
We have entered into a partnership with EcoKids, Mati. The children and young people receive school supplies such as pencils and crayons, as well as backpacks and umbrellas for the journey to school in exchange for the plastic they collect.
The first 250,000 mangrove seedlings in Baganga.
Mangrove reforestation on limestone soils.
Mangroves
We are receiving more and more emails recommending that we trade CO2 certificates, also known on the market as “carbon credits”. To be clear: we don’t do that. Unfortunately, most of the companies offering these carbon credits are financial jugglers. In some cases, projects are certified for carbon credits which, in our view, are anything but worthy of support. In principle, the idea is good, but at the moment the market and the players are not transparent for us. That’s why we don’t want to get involved.
Mangroves in particular allow you to eliminate your CO2 emissions easily and cost-effectively. A small calculation example will illustrate this. If a mangrove removes 5 kilograms of CO2 per year from the atmosphere during its average life of 25 years, that is 125 kilograms. A solid calculation with reliable values. We know that most mangroves live longer, often 50 years or more. Exceptions even live for almost 100 years. We also know that more than 5 kilograms of CO2 per year are stored in the sediments by a mangrove, but as I said: we only calculate with reliable figures.
So if you want to reduce or eliminate your carbon footprint, simply buy a few mangroves, or even better, lots of them. Or you can opt for a mangrove subscription. We will then plant 365 mangroves a year for you, i.e. one every day. These mangroves help to reduce CO2, but also the local fishing families and nature. It couldn’t be better. For a mangrove subscription, the CO2 emissions are as follows: 365 mangroves x 5 kilograms = 1,825 kg/year equals 1.825 tons/year. It’s a pleasure to be part of it. An additional advantage is that you will receive a donation receipt that can be claimed for tax purposes. So why do you need dubious “carbon credits”?
Mangrove subcription
We will open a new chapter for the mangrove plantations in November 2024. We are moving on to Baganga, Davao Oriental. Here we are working with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the local communities and the fishing and women’s associations to rehabilitate and expand the mangroves. A feat of strength that we are looking forward to. 812 hectares are waiting for us. As it is well known that a great journey begins with the first step, we already have 250,000 seedlings of 11 species in our local tree nursery, which will be planted in November.
Our small flat-bottomed boat is ideal for working in the mangroves.
The Amihan Brothers were able to release over 7,000 turtle hatchlings into the sea in 2024.
Mahogany farming in Monkayo and Montevista.
Teak farming in Patag, Marilog.
Mama Earth Farming
Our office in Babak, Samal Island, will oversee and manage all farm activities. To avoid confusion, the websites will also be separated (www.mama-erth-farming.eco). This will also change the e-mail address, but all other e-mail addresses will remain active for another two years. Please use the following e-mail address for all questions about cocoa, mahogany, teak and bamboo: info@mama-earth-farming.eco
Our “headquarters” is in Lanang, right in Davao City, is for the Mama Earth Foundation. Our mangrove office in Mati in Guang guang National Park is as small as a shoebox. This tiny office was made available to us free of charge by the mayor’s office in Mati. The third office is located on Samal Island, where our farm activities will be managed in the future.
As you can read on our new website, we are currently not offering partnerships for cocoa and bamboo. We have incurred losses in the cocoa sector, but have paid our partners reliably, albeit with delays. The price of cocoa is now astronomically high, but is already falling again as the harvests begin. Our concept only works if we process most of our cocoa beans into products, which was successful until the pandemic. As the market is recovering very slowly, we have decided to export to Germany as well. This requires a CPR number, which we have applied for.
We simply don’t have enough land for bamboo. We are looking, but many farmers don’t want to plant bamboo because bamboo plantations are also a paradise for snakes. It is also very difficult to switch to other plantations because the bamboo and its root balls have to be dug up to plant other crops. A very time-consuming job. But we are not giving up.
Important note
During the transition phase, you may receive two newsletters. If you do not wish to read both newsletters, you will find a box at the end of each newsletter to click on: “Unsubscribe newsletter”.
The second harvest this year started on October 17, 2024. As the prices for cocoa beans have risen sharply in the meantime, we hope to be able to make up for our losses from previous years.
Our bamboo plantations are growing well. We have planted 15 already hectares in Monkayo, but are looking for more areas. None are currently in sight, as bamboo is not popular with all farmers.
