From Arms to Farms Program wins 2024 Future Policy Award

The World Future Council announced on 27 November 2024 that the Municipality of Kauswagan’s “From Arms to Farms” is among this year’s winning policies on “reintegrating former combatants through sustainable agriculture, dramatically reducing poverty and fostering peace between Christian and Muslim communities.”

 

The town’s organic farming program is one of the four winning policies of the 2024 World Future Policy Award, focused on Peace and Future Generations.

 

“As mayor, I can proudly say all 13 of Kauswagan’s villages are now 100% into organic farming. Since 2012, no armed conflict-related crimes have been reported. I hope the NTF-ELCAC and the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process will take notice and propagate our Kauswagan organic farming model to the rest of the country,” said Mayor Rommel Arnado who received the Award in a ceremony in Geneva, Switzerland.

 

Alyn Ware, WFC Peace and Disarmament Spokesperson and a member of the World Future Policy Award Jury said: “With armed conflict and other violence causing immense suffering worldwide, we sought effective policies to resolve disputes and foster a culture of peace for current and future generations.”  

 

“We were thrilled by 47 nominations from 29 countries across all continents, many of which had made exceptional contributions to sustainable peacebuilding in diverse contexts,” Ware also said.

 

The three other winning policies for 2024 the World Future Council recognized are:  

 

1. Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, placing gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and women’s leadership in peacebuilding and security at the core of its international assistance.  

 

2. Moriori Peace Covenant (Nunuku’s Law), an extraordinary commitment to non-violence, peace, and sustainability by the indigenous Moriori of Rēkohu (Chatham Islands, New Zealand) in the 15th century, which remains a powerful living ethos and source of inspiration today.  

 

3. Wales’ Well-Being of Future Generations Act (2015), moving beyond political cycles by mandating public bodies to consider the long-term impacts of decisions on future generations and establishing a Future Generations Commissioner to lead its implementation.

 

Launched in 2010 in Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte, Philippines, the “From Arms to Farms” program has reintegrated over 5,000 former combatants into society through sustainable agriculture.  

 

Under the leadership of Mayor Rommel Arnado, the initiative addresses poverty, distrust in governance, and historical inequalities, transforming the municipality into a model of peace and sustainable development. By reducing poverty rates from 80% in 2010 to 9.1% by 2020 and fostering peace between Christian and Muslim communities, the program demonstrates how innovative, integrated solutions can drive lasting change.  

 

Participants receive training in organic farming and financial literacy, equipping them to build stable livelihoods. Community dialogues and conflict resolution foster reconciliation, while bi-weekly meetings with local leaders ensure transparency and inclusivity. Over 6,000 hectares of land have been cultivated, significantly enhancing food security and revitalizing the local economy.  

 

Recognized nationally, “From Arms to Farms” earned the “Galing Pook” award in 2014 and was recently lauded as the most innovative, efficient, and sustainable municipality in the Philippines.  

 

Last October, Mayor Arnado filed his certificate of candidacy for vice mayor in the May 2025 elections. He said he seeks to lead the municipal council so he can “focus on details of legislation needed to address the needs of Kauswagan and to effectively cascade national laws and programs into local ordinances and projects.”  

 

“These specifics of Kauswagan development I can attend to with greater attention to details as vice mayor and presiding officer of the municipal council,” Arnado said. “Being vice mayor also means I would have more spare time for my family and constituents, because being mayor means dividing time and effort across all of the town’s concerns.”