Agricultural and Biological Research

Hydroponics: How mainstreaming the technology for agricultural futures can address rural poverty and hunger

Liezel M. Caranto*, Jean Rose C. Vanguardia

Mainstreaming hydroponics technology in rural farming communities as part of the agricultural future takes on a trajectory of positive change, driven by the role of agriculturist students who have undergone lectures on the knowledge, methodology, and technical requirements essential to their efforts to introduce soilless farming to their communities. This study delves into the role of agricultural students as agents of positive change, delivering technical expertise in hydroponic farming to their farming families and communities through a social intervention to address rural poverty and hunger, which is central to the whole-of-nation approach to achieving the UN SDGs. Using descriptive research design, this article looked into the mainstreaming potentials of the hydroponics technology by means of agriculture students of JHCSC who have attended series of lectures on hydroponics provided by their professors in addition to their agriculture curriculum cum career counseling, providing them with the technical knowledge about hydroponics. These interventions are designed to support agricultural futures by bridging gaps from academia to the community, from knowledge to collaboration, which are central to addressing rural poverty