Cultivating Change #9 Shen Maglinte from SIBAT Philippines

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In this episode of Cultivating Change, Shen Maglinte, Deputy Coordinator of SIBAT in the Philippines, shares how his team has supported Indigenous and rural communities for over 30 years to develop water, energy, and farming systems that are regenerative and empowering.

EP#9 Technology Rooted in Community: Seeds, Soil, and Systems

What does appropriate technology look like when it is rooted in the needs, wisdom, and realities of smallholder farmers?

From natural seed breeding and farmer-led soil restoration techniques to gravity-fed water systems and community-owned rice mills, Shen explains why technology must be site-specific, ecologically grounded, and socially just.

He also speaks candidly about the pushback communities face when they organise for land rights and food sovereignty. Shen’s story is a call to action for anyone working on equitable and sustainable food futures in Southeast Asia and beyond.

Show notes

[00:00:00] Shen's unexpected journey from Big Pharma to community tech and farming advocacy.

[00:05:00] Founding of SIBAT in response to Green Revolution’s impacts on soil, health, and rural livelihoods.

[00:10:00] Reviving seed sovereignty: natural breeding, participatory selection, and site-specific varietals.

[00:15:00] Farmers as innovators: listening to local knowledge and customising tech.

[00:21:00] Soil regeneration methods: organic fertilisers, crop rotation, fermentation, and carbon inputs.

[00:24:00] Policy challenges: lack of government support and inconsistent leadership. [00:28:00] Scaling up: how SIBAT reached thousands of farmers across provinces through co-ops and milling.

[00:32:00] Political repression: how organising farmers led to military surveillance and harassment.

[00:36:00] Organic law, lost momentum, and the power of the local leader.

[00:39:00] Market access: the limits of pricing and logistics for organic food.

[00:42:00] Water: using solar pumps, microhydro, and community-managed infrastructure.

[00:47:00] Concerns around agritech: artificial food, transnational control, and tech without ethics.

[00:49:00] Final thoughts: invest in Indigenous youth, cultural revival, and farmer-consumer connections.

Additional Resources

1. Learn more about SIBAT.
2. Read about their Community Based Sustainable Agriculture Programme.

Special thanks to Shen Maglinte for sharing his insights on regenerative and natural farming in the Philippines.

Creator and host: Nova Nelson.
Executive Producer, and researcher:  Tamanna Patel.
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About Cultivating Change

Cultivating Change is a podcast about people and communities shaping local regenerative food and agricultural systems in Southeast Asia.

We speak to farmers, smallholders and urban growers, food producers, researchers, environmentalists, entrepreneurs and various individuals that are re-imagining, designing and creating healthier more sustainable food futures and landscapes from the ground up.

Our mission? To explore questions and find answers about the vital aspects of our food system, why it matters to your well-being, and the seismic impact it has on the environment in Southeast Asia. It's not just a podcast; it's a recipe for change.