Monsanto Philippines storytelling sessions underscore sustainability, helping others, and improving lives
this book is about agricultural biotechnology and helps about demystifying our notion of biotech foods.
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| Source: Mom's Online Mag |
Monsanto Philippines holds storytelling sessions on
the only Filipino children’s book on biotech corn seeds titled Lina’s Town Rises Again.
Lina’s Town Rises Again was written for elementary school children to develop a
basic understanding of the impact of agriculture products, specifically Dekalb
corn seeds in social, economic and environmental terms. It touches on the
themes of sustainability, collaboration and safety by narrating the true and
inspiring story of how agricultural biotechnology seeds positively transformed
a woman farmer’s life, and enabled her farming community to recover
economically in the aftermath of a devastating typhoon.
Farmer Consolacion Reyes’ life turned upside down when
Typhoon Pablo not only destroyed her house and crops but also her community –
homes, farms, and livelihoods. She and her neighbors were forced to take
shelter at an evacuation center when the entire municipality of Lambayong went
under water. Upon returning to the village, they saw that the super typhoon had
destroyed anything
Seeing her difficulty, a Good Samaritan lent her money
which she used to buy a bag of Dekalb corn biotech seeds. Her harvest was
abundant, so after some time, she was able to get back on her feet. A few
harvests later and she started to earn consistently higher income. Now, she is
among the more prosperous farmers in her town.
The story is authored by Chat Ocampo, Corporate Engagement
Lead – Philippines, who have previously authored two children’s books. The
illustration-rich book is written in an informative writing style, keeps the
interest of young readers while conveying some highly technical information on
seeds, to deliver the messages of sustainability and safety.
By writing this book, Ocampo feels she is able to do her
share in “keeping the younger generations interested in matters related to
agriculture while reaching out to equally important societal audiences such as young
parents and teachers.”
Meantime, two learning hubs for elementary school
children maintained by the Department of Education in Davao City continue to
hold storytelling sessions with the book. The ages of students attending these
sessions range from 5 to 10 years old.
So far, Monsanto Philippines has conducted storytelling
sessions in 3 cities including Davao City which is the most influential city in
Mindanao, Philippines. These sessions have reached more than 7,000 students
from 36 schools (30 schools in Davao City, five in Tuguegarao City and one
science elementary school in Quezon City). The Biotech Coalition of the
Philippines has also distributed copies of the book to key government offices
and public libraries.
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About
Monsanto
Monsanto is committed to
bringing a broad range of solutions to help nourish our growing world. We
produce seeds for fruits, vegetables and key crops – such as corn, soybeans,
sorghum, canola, and cotton – that help farmers have better harvests while
using water and other important resources more efficiently. We work to find
sustainable solutions for soil health, help farmers use data to improve farming
practices and conserve natural resources, and provide crop protection products
to minimize damage from pests and disease. Through programs and partnerships,
we collaborate with farmers, researchers, nonprofit organizations, universities
and others to help tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Contact person:
Charina
Garrido-Ocampo
Corporate Engagement Lead
Monsanto Philippines, Inc.
+639989631498
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