Lighthouse Schools and Crop Museums in the Philippines

In The Philippines, Lighthouse Schools (LSs) and school-based Crop Museums (CMs) serve as repositories of crop biodiversity. Specifically, LSs are research sites where the integration of school feeding, nutrition education and school gardens, is demonstrated and evidence is established; while CMs are located within the large network of LS and act as seed banks that enable the multiplication and exchange of crop types and varieties across schools. Together they have helped conserve and promote multiple varieties of traditional and indigenous vegetables (IVs)and fruits

Indigenous vegetables: consumer and market vendor preferences in Cavite, Philippines

Indigenous vegetables (IVs) are locally-adapted, nutritious and culturally significant crops, yet consumption of IVs is low- with dwindling numbers of people with knowledge about their multiple uses and benefits. Additionally, in urban areas such as the Cavite province in the Philippines, IVs are not easily found in markets- the place where most households acquire their vegetables from. Improving IV consumption requires concerted efforts both on the supply and demand side of the IV value chain, based on a clear understanding of consumer and market vendor preferences

Conserving and prioritizing indigenous fruits in the Philippines

Nutrition-related problems are a widespread challenge in the Philippines. Many factors contribute to these problems - the availability and affordability of fruits, for example, which are jeopardized by challenges such as seasonality and inconsistent yields due to the impacts of climate change. Crop improvement and on-farm diversification, particularly using indigenous fruits (IFs), can help address these challenges, while also improving rural livelihoods, nutrition, food security; and even safeguarding local culture and tradition