The Periurban Vegetable Project (PUVeP) is a research and outreach unit of Xavier University College of Agriculture (XUCA), Cagayan de Oro City, which started its operation in October 1997.
PUVeP provides research, training and education related to urban natural resources management and food production in the city with particular emphasis on:
developing economically viable, environmental benign and socially accepted vegetable production systems;
supply of affordable, healthy vegetables which are year-round available, particularly to the urban poor;
integration of urban and periurban food production into city planning;
contribution to overall urban natural resources management;
integration of urban agriculture in relevant academic curricula and extension programs
In cooperation with the City Government of Cagayan de Oro, different barangay administrations and local communities, it has implemented seven allotment gardens, two of which are located inside public elementary schools, equipped with ecological sanitation toilets for 91 urban poor families.
PUVeP has received financial support from the European Commission, the German Embassy Manila as well as several private donors. It is also supported by CIM of Germany through provision of an integrated expert in urban agriculture.
It closely cooperates with other units of Xavier University and institutions in Northern Mindanao as well as the Water and Sanitation Program of GTZ.
Partnerships also exist with LGUs and universities in Belgium and Germany, as well as in Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand through the PUDSEA Network. read background or download flyer
By the year 2000, over half of the worlds population was living in cities, with the other half increasingly reliant on urban areas for their economic survival. Today, the size and number of cities in the developing world is rapidly increasing, with many so-called mega-cities such as Sao Paulo or Metro Manila.
Also other urban areas in the Philippines such as Cebu, Davao or Cagayan de Oro grow almost at double the rate than the national average of 2.3 % per year.
These human settlements are increasingly vulnerable to natural, human-made and technological risks threatening the livelihood, health and lives of people.
Cities can be vibrant centers of culture and civilization, but for many people they are places of urban poverty, alienation and disadvantage. Major challenges facing urban areas include:
Adequate shelter and health services.
High rates of inward migration.
Poverty, inadequate financial resources and lack of employment opportunities.
Growing insecurity and rising crime rates.
Rising traffic congestion and increasing pollution.
Inadequate water supply and waste treatment facilities.
Availability, accessibility and affordability to safe and nutritious food, otherwise known as food security.
