Arvin Joshua Barlongo, an agriculturist and teaching associate at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), advocates for microgreens as a practical and nutritious option for urban farming. “Microgreens are incredibly nutritious and easy to grow,” Barlongo shared, emphasizing their potential for enhancing urban food security while minimizing environmental impact.
Microgreens require minimal resources, making them a sustainable choice for city dwellers with limited space. According to Barlongo, they can thrive in various indoor spaces, such as balconies, rooftops, or even basements, and they do not demand traditional soil or pesticides. “Microgreens can be grown on trays stacked on shelves, using affordable growing mediums like coco fiber or even paper towels,” he explained.
On the environmental front, microgreens have a notably low carbon footprint and generate minimal waste. Melinda Mondoñedo, Agriculturist II at the Bureau of Plant Industry R4A, sees microgreens as a response to urgent issues like food security and land conversion, which threaten traditional agricultural production. “The major challenges today are food security and land conversion, both of which affect our capacity for agricultural production,” Mondoñedo remarked. By offering an eco-friendly way to grow food without extensive land use, microgreens present a viable path toward urban resilience.
Despite their potential, microgreens have yet to gain widespread popularity in local diets, partly due to limited seed accessibility. Barlongo suggests beginning with locally sourced seeds, such as sunflower, mung bean, cowpea, and rice bean, readily available in markets.
Growing microgreens requires only basic materials and care. By placing seeds on a damp paper towel in a tray, ensuring adequate moisture, and providing light, anyone can harvest microgreens in as little as six to seven days once the first true leaves appear.
Seeing potential for engaging younger generations, UPLB Assistant Professor Maria Fatima O. Mercado has created a children’s storybook, Mga Bulilit na Halaman: Ang Kwento ni Yanyan at ng Microgreens, to inspire kids to embrace healthy eating. Inspired by her daughter Rhian’s struggles with vegetables, Mercado’s book is part of the Microgreens Training Initiative, which she hopes will encourage healthier eating habits among young Filipinos.
Through advocacy and accessible education, experts from UPLB aim to make microgreens a staple of urban agriculture and healthier diets across the country, helping bridge food security gaps in the process.
