Threats and Challenges to Agriculture Towards Sustainable Rice Farming

The study is mainly a qualitative research work base on phenomenological approach. Archival method was also utilized to retrieved past data and information necessary for the study; present records from selected government offices was also used ; and most importantly, first hand information were gathered from people whose age and experienced in rice farming is immeasurable. This piece of research work was based on the personal experience of the researcher from her childhood days down to her present status: a social science professor in an agricultural state university in Laguna, province, Philippines, and a member of a rice farm community. It presents how Laguna Province, an agricultural and a rice farming area in the Philippines, endowed with all its natural resources, geographical, climatic condition, and strong manpower is being threatened by problems in increasing population, climate and global warming, capital, profit, and manpower, technology, and industrialization. A social theory known as the “Gintong Butil” (Golden Seed) is being proposed to meet the challenges and threats to agriculture towards a sustainable rice farming development. A social framework had been formulated to elucidate its essence and fullest realization.

Keywords: Agriculture, Rice Farming, Golden Seed