Digna O. Manzanilla ([email protected]) and Teodoro Q. Correa Jr.
Deforestation and land degradation in sloping areas of the Philippines have called for intensified research efforts to develop and disseminate land management practices and agroforestry systems for resource conservation and sustained agricultural production. Among these efforts is the collaborative project entitled "Management of Sloping Lands for Sustainable Agriculture" or more commonly known as the ASIALAND Project.
The project began in 1998. It is being implemented by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
The project is part of the ASIALAND Sloping Lands Network of the former International Board for Soil Research and Management (IBSRAM), a regional network of seven Asian countries: China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines. The network aims to implement adaptive research on soil conservation and management for sustainable agriculture in the region. It is now under the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) after IBSRAM’s programs were assimilated by IWMI in April 2001.
The project began with plot-scale experiments to generate and validate soil conservation practices. It then progressed to research at the farm level and to promoting appropriate technology among the upland farming communities. This step-by-step approach to finding solutions to land degradation resulted in the validation of a number of promising conservation practices, while gaining valuable experience in the implementation of these practices.
Establishing conservation farming villages (CFVs)
From the plot-scale experiments of the project, the alley cropping system was proven effective in arresting soil erosion and providing farmers with economic benefits. On-farm research identified issues and constraints in the adoption of the technologies, and proposed a number of strategies to enhance awareness and participation. Consequently, the project developed and advocated the conservation farming village (CFV) approach to disseminate sloping land management practices and technologies.
The first CFV was successfully launched in Barangay Maria Paz, Tanauan, Batangas in July 1999. Barangay Maria Paz also served as the on-farm research site. The CFV has grown from 10 farmer-cooperators to 50 farmers adopting various conservation practices -ranging from simple mulching and minimum tillage practices to the more elaborate alley cropping system.
Mango, papaya, coconut and malunggay are component tree species of the alley cropping system in Barangay Maria Paz, Tanauan, Batangas.
A few farmers have also integrated fruit trees and livestock into their farming practices. Through the partnership of the local government unit (LGU) and various government agencies, a training centre was established in the barangay. It is used as venue for different capacity-building activities and as an information and action center for the farmers. The project initiated the capacity building of LGU personnel towards self-governance for natural resource conservation and management.
Scaling up the activities
The research outputs and experiences gained from the initial technology promotion phase enabled the project to widen its dissemination of conservation farming practices and technologies. It was able to establish linkages with government agencies and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and to jointly conduct on-farm trials with the farmers. The partnership with CARE Philippines, through its sustainable Management of Mount Isarog Territories (SUMMIT) project in Camarines Sur in Southern Luzon has been providing an alternative and sustainable livelihood for the sloping land farmers and their families in the 23 communities settling along the forest boundaries of Mount Isarog.
The partnership now looks forward to the development of these upland communities as CFVs, serving as conduits in the advocacy of sustainable management of sloping lands at the community level.
The ASIALAND project also initiated the creation of networks on sloping land management at the national, regional, provincial and community levels. These networks consist of various government agencies from the research, development and academic sectors, as well as NGOs that will be the support mechanisms to sustain the CFV operations. Network members at the local level are the active stakeholders of the CFV as they are assigned specific roles for the overall development of the community toward sustainability.
The ASIALAND project is currently upgrading its methodology of assessing soil erosion and its short-and long-term, and off-site adverse effects by shifting its research paradigm from plot-based to being catchment (watershed)-based.
Soil erosion has now become the concern of the whole community within the watershed, as it affects all aspects of community life. Soil erosion assessment, through the catchment methodology, is expected to further increase the farmers’ awareness and enable policymakers and local government administrators to make sound decisions on land use.
This innovative approach to sloping land management complements the project’s thrust of reaching upland farming communities and encouraging them to work toward sustainable agriculture.
The authors can be contacted at the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, Los Baños, 4031 Laguna, Philippines.
A weir is being constructed to measure soil erosion through microcatchment in Barangay Maria Paz, Tanauan, Batangas.
Vivek Saxena ([email protected])
major portion (82%) of the land area of Haryana, a small state (44 212 km2) in northern India, is agricultural. Its recorded forest area is only almost 4 percent, but because of agroforestry efforts in recent years, the tree cover of Haryana has increased to nearly 9 percent. The area under trees on farmlands grew at a rate of 53 percent per year between 1975 and 1984. Similarly, areas under agroforestry increased at a faster rate in Punjab and the neighboring districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal.
Eucalyptus and poplar are the most popular species, because they grow fast and have a short rotation period. They also have good economic returns and an established market. About 10 million eucalyptus and poplar seedlings are planted annually under farm forestry in Haryana. Private nurseries have emerged as an important economic activity. With an average planting density of about 500 to 700 plants per hectare, approximately 15 000 to 18 000 ha are planted annually under agroforestry systems on farmlands.
Approximately 81 percent of the area is planted with poplar, while the remaining 19 percent is planted with eucalyptus. The reason is the better economic returns from poplar. An average of about 8 200 tonnes of eucalyptus and poplar wood arrive in the market daily, valued at around US$370 000. Poplar comprises about 72 percent of the total.
The success of agroforestry in the Yamunanagar District in Haryana has resulted in the establishment of over 200 factories in the twin cities of Jagadhari and Yamunanagar. Together, these factories produce poplar timber products worth over US$210 million. The growth of the wood industry has not only benefited farmers, but has also created employment opportunities in the wood processing industry. Agroforestry got a major boost from the marketing facilities built in Yamunanagar District. About 1 000 loads of wood arrive at the Yamunanagar market daily, with a value of US$3.7 million.
Figures 1 and 2 show the price trends from 1995 to 2002 for poplar and eucalyptus respectively. Figure 1 shows that there was a marked increase in the poplar prices in the mid- to late-1990s. The peak for poplar prices was around 1998. Since then, there has been a steady decline in prices, except in the small-diameter classes, which have maintained a fairly constant price.
Eucalyptus wood, on the other hand, has improved its market share since 1997. Although prices for the wood suffered between 1983 and 1990, they have since become stable. The price of eucalyptus wood has stayed at US$53 per tonne, since the mid-1990s. This has been the trend despite the glut in the eucalyptus wood supply in recent years and despite the fact that farmers have continued to increase planting its seedlings.
The Yamunanagar timber market was studied to analyze the causes of the steady decline of poplar prices since 1999. The results of the study indicated that the price decline was mainly due to the drought in 2002. During this drought, a large number of poplar and eucalyptus farmers sold raw poplar wood at prices that had fallen to US$37-US$42 per ton. Small farmers resorted to felling poplar before the end of the rotation period, in order to meet subsistence needs and augment income. At the same time, farmers continued to plant more seedlings because of the remarkable profits made during the early years of the poplar plantations, hence causing an oversupply.
Figure 1. Poplar price trends from 1995 to 2002.
Figure 2. Eucalyptus price trends from 1995 to 2002.
Market inadequacies
Compared with markets for other agricultural products, wood markets are still under developed. With regard to wood production, no mechanism has been developed to absorb the surplus production and to curb farmers’ exploitation.
The declining trend of poplar prices has been analyzed and corrective policy and administrative measures have been suggested to cope with the over-abundant supply and protect the interests of the primary producers.
It is suggested that an adequate price support mechanism and farmers’ cooperatives be developed so that farmers can have reasonable returns from their produce. Doing so will also ensure environmental sustainability and sustainable development, as farmers will not have to keep felling trees.
Furthermore, it is also suggested that the role of the state forest corporations and the state forest departments be redefined, along with the role of private stakeholders, including farmers, consumers and intermediaries. The following suggestions were made: efficient and diversified wood product utilization; development of high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties of eucalyptus, poplar and other suitable agroforestry species; production of site-specific clones; development of diversified uses of wood-based finished products; appropriate incentives for setting up new wood-based industries; adequate market research methodologies; and healthy buyer-seller linkages. The market should also be properly developed before the farmers grow the trees.
The author can be contacted at the Rohtak Forest Division (Territorial), Rohtak, Haryana, India.
Jerome Labra ([email protected])
A new community nursery house is being established through "bayanihan" or cooperative work in Masonoy, San Isidro. Worth while development work requires the active participation of farmer-partners in all levels of project implementation (Photo by G. Cordero).
The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) recently concluded its two-year project promoting the Landcare approach in conservation farming, while empowering local communities. Two years after persuading almost 1 500 farmers to adopt low-cost conservation farming technologies, covering more than 1 000 ha of contoured upland farms, the project showed the benefits of combined research and participatory extension work in addressing important productivity and resource conservation constraints that are beleaguering subsistence upland farming families in the Visayas.
The project, funded by the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional (AECI), focused on alleviating poverty among the most disadvantaged groups in the Philippines.
Scaling up from immense Landcare gains in Mindanao
The project was built on previous ICRAF-AECI work in northern Mindanao, where the accelerated adoption of natural vegetative filter strips (NVS), through the Landcare approach, became the catalyst in disseminating this conservation farming technology far beyond the upland fields of Claveria, Misamis Oriental.
The ICRAF-AECI tandem-tested conservation technology options and extension innovations similar to those done in Mindanao, but this time, on a wider scale. It aimed to find out if the Landcare approach was suitable under the different socioeconomic and institutional environments in the Visayas, and if the NVS technology could generate the same impacts in the shallow and calcareous Visayan soils as it did in the deep volcanic soils of Mindanao. Project results would contribute to a better understanding of the process and conditions for scaling up to similar areas in the humid tropics of Southeast Asia.
Landcare approach: an institutional innovation
The Landcare approach brings together technical providers, local government units (LGUs) and farmer groups to build collaborations for promoting the adoption of effective and low-cost technologies. While actual biophysical research is being conducted to explore technological interventions, Landcare emphasizes the development of existing local knowledge and practices while promoting community-led natural resource management initiatives. These efforts paved the way to more appropriate and locally relevant technology recommendations.
Meanwhile, the strategic partnerships and linkages that have been set in place incited the active involvement of the LGUs in the project sites, thus effectively mobilizing project activities and the timely attainment of goals. Staunch support from local government officials at both the municipal and barangay (village) levels was sought prior to project implementation.
Landcare uses the farmer-to-farmer method to rapidly disseminate the recommended conservation farming practices. The 120 training sessions, 64 workshops and 78 orientation sessions conducted benefited 4 311 participants, and formed 21 Landcare groups, with 400 core members in the six municipalities covered by the project.
Validating technical innovations through research and experimentation
The appropriateness of Landcare’s package of technology interventions in the Visayas was established through farmers’ preferences and acceptance and supported by research and experimentation. The research data generated from these experiments were used to identify and validate workable conservation farming practices.
Surveys were conducted in the first phase of the project to ascertain the existing conservation farming practices at the intended project sites. These surveys broadened ICRAF’s understanding of the upland farming conditions in these areas and also complemented earlier findings in Mindanao. Survey findings were crucial in fine-tuning the project goals, highlighting the inherent need for simple and low-cost methods of maintaining soil fertility and productivity as the defining criteria in selecting the appropriate technology innovations.
These initial surveys also highlighted the availability of traditional channels of information exchange, by having farmers voluntarily helping other farmers. Consistent with ICRAF’s farmer-to-farmer extension methods, these labor exchange groups became a viable vehicle in accelerating the promotion of Landcare’s conservation farming technologies.
Soil fertility and the natural vegetative filter strips (NVS) technology
On-farm research results emphasized the effectiveness of NVS for slope stabilization in the shallow calcareous soils that are found in the Visayas. However, a number of location-specific factors affected the overall productivity of NVS. These factors require long-term observations to fully understand the impact of the technology at the plot and landscape levels. Most importantly, the findings highlighted the need for complementary practices to enhance soil fertility. ICRAF-Visayas further explored improved crop rotation and intercropping schemes that included leguminous crops.
Packet training on NVS establishment is being conducted by ICRAF’s Landcare facilitator. Comprehensive information, education and communication strategies facilitate the rapid knowledge and skills transfer of various upland farming and agroforestry technologies to farmer-partners (Photo by J. Bojos).
Local trees on farms
Having identified the need for complementary practices for soil fertility enhancement, ICRAF focused on the promotion of enriched NVS systems, integrated with various fruit and timber tree species along with other secondary crops such as banana and forage grasses. The objective was to increase the overall profitability of the land since the adoption of vegetative soil conservation measures requires valuable field space which reduces the production area allocated for the main crops.
These efforts were complemented with baseline research on the local knowledge of indigenous tree species (ITS) at the study sites, not only among ICRAF’s farmer-partners, but also among the processors and market dealers of tree products. The study identified the most promising indigenous species for smallholder tree domestication and also shed light on the main constraints in the productive and profitable use of indigenous trees on the farm, these being: lack of knowledge and skills in tree growing, market access and planting materials, among other things.
Farmers were also unfamiliar with the required administrative procedures and were faced with high transaction costs. There were also prevailing negative perceptions among the farmers toward timber harvesting. To address these problems, ICRAF obtained the help of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and launched an information campaign on timber utilization policies.
The ITS study results were consequently developed into an electronic database. A separate knowledge base can also be developed using the software WinAkt, developed by ICRAF. These databases can help researchers and development partners in understanding farmers’ perceptions and beliefs. When methods of statistical analysis are combined with local ecological knowledge generated through socioeconomic surveys, the scene for future research and development initiatives on indigenous tree domestication activities is set.
As a follow-up to the ITS study, another study showed that the farmers’ local knowledge and awareness influenced the implementation of various strategies to domesticate trees on the farm. Farmers in the study sites most likely followed the same system of planting and tending the trees. They did not focus much on the lack of capital in the management of trees on farms as they created their own strategies in overcoming the different management constraints using the existing limited resources.
ICRAF also focused on coconut-based agroforestry systems--the most prevalent agroforestry system in central Philippines. ICRAF, in collaboration with the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) in Bohol, identified successful coconut-based agroforestry systems, as well as weak components and "links" in coconut-based farming systems that could be improved through innovative strategies.
The study concluded that the intercropping systems could be made more productive by using more strategic plant combinations, plant densities and planting patterns, in consonance with the different life stages and related growth patterns of the coconut trees. The combined planting of trees and field crops and the installation of NVS or other vegetative buffer strips were also needed to stop soil erosion. More in-depth studies are required before potential, best-bet coconut-based agroforestry systems can be identified and replicated in other areas.
A concurrent study was also conducted on the local charcoal-making practices. ICRAF’s advocacy for trees on farms established 25 communal and individual tree nurseries that are now producing more than 20 000 seedlings of various indigenous tree species.
Looking ahead
The project showed the effectiveness of involving farmers in the information and technology transfer process. The farmer-to-farmer approach used by ICRAF, coupled with intensive hands-on training, facilitated the rich interaction and sharing of knowledge among the participants. It also cultivated positive attitudes and enhanced advocacy toward conservation and sustainable farming in the uplands. These advances were further reinforced with responsive and flexible information, education and communication (IEC) methods and strategies and verified by actual field testing and scientific experimentation of ICRAF’s technology packages. In addition, the collaboration of various key government and nongovernmental organizations contributed to making the farming information and technical recommendations of the project more practical and acceptable in the local field conditions.
Areas for long-term research and development were also identified. The essential aspects of agroforestry covered by the project--slope stabilization, performance of tree species, physical and chemical relationships between and among the various trees and crops in a farming system, among other things-require lengthy time frames for scientific observation and in-depth testing. Long-term research also requires workable feedback mechanisms to assess project impacts on the socioeconomic conditions of the farmer-stakeholders.
The considerable gains achieved in the two-year project further highlighted the need for continued investment using research and development interventions to help alleviate the living conditions in the uplands.
The author can be contacted at the ICRAF-Visayas Research Site, College of Forestry, Leyte State University, Baybay, Leyte.
All members of the household participate in nursery activities. ICRAF’s strong advocacy for trees on farms have seen the establishment of 25 communal and individual tree nurseries that have produced more than 20 000 indigenous tree seedlings in two years’ time (Photo by A. Obusa).
Blesilda M. Calub ([email protected])
Participatory technology development (PTD) is an interactive process that builds a kind of partnership, allowing better understanding of the important elements, dynamics, problems and opportunities of local farming systems. The partners jointly experiment to select the best-bet options for addressing constraints. These options are based on ideas and experiences derived from indigenous knowledge, which are then combined with formal science.
PTD focuses on the farmer, his farm, his household and his community. Technologies developed by research stations are refined under actual farming environments. Feedback channels ensure that people’s reactions, modifications and opinions on the performance of the technologies under evaluation are taken sincerely at all stages of the development process. Thus, in PTD, people act as co-researchers, co-scientists and co-evaluators, rather than mere recipients of technologies.
The PTD process does not only aim to solve current problems in the community, but also attempts to come up with sustainable production practices that will conserve and enhance the natural resources for future generations. More importantly, PTD aims to strengthen the capacity of farmers and rural communities to analyze problems, and to plan and design feasible and useful innovations relevant to their own goals, priorities and conditions.
PTD in agroforestry
Applying the PTD process to agroforestry means that technologies such as alley cropping are not promoted as packages, e.g. where corn is to be planted in the alleys and Leucaena is to be planted as a hedgerow crop.
Instead, everything about the alley cropping technology is discussed with the farmer. The criteria in selecting the perennial to be used are decided by the farmer (based on his preference, ease of establishment, availability of planting materials, and other uses or desired products) and the researcher, who has the technical know-how about the crops. The farmer and researcher may try out several species as hedgerows, as well as several annual crops. Then, they jointly pick the best hedgerow species for the farmer to use.
The farmer may decide not to plant the perennials as hedgerows. The researcher may then offer other planting configurations such as random, block or boundary planting. The idea is to offer the agroforestry technologies initially as options for the farmer and the researcher to experiment on.
PTD may also go as far as revising the whole technology itself. The farmer may later decide to allow the hedgerow species to grow over a longer period of time to produce fuelwood and sell it to meet household needs. Flexibility is an important aspect of PTD.
In PTD, experiments are conducted together with farmers in their own fields.
Farmers and researchers jointly assess farm situation to identify problems that need to be addressed.
In some cases, farmers may not want to try the technology for certain reasons, preferring to wait and see. They may be forced or enticed to adopt the technology through incentives such as free inputs or land rental. In such cases, farmers usually abandon the technology once the project ends. With PTD, a researcher encourages the farmer to work with other farmers who are more willing to try the technology. Once the experiment yields concrete results, others may be convinced to try it, too. Patience is needed in PTD.
PTD promotes farmer-to-farmer information exchange. The first successful farmers are encouraged to promote their discoveries and learnings to other "late-bloomer" farmers. Farmer-to-farmer exchange is effective for the recipient farmer, and the teacher-farmer, in turn, builds his self-confidence and desire to further improve his work, farm and himself.
The PTD process is closely linked with social change. It encourages people’s innovativeness, strengthens self-confidence and self-respect through the organized planning, implementation and assessment of systematic experiments.
In conducting PTD, the following should also be considered:
Work with partners at all levels of government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, local farmers’ groups, academe and other relevant institutions.
Conclusion
The driving force in PTD is the enthusiasm for change of both farmers and outsiders. More than just building the capability of farmers and rural communities to develop and assess relevant technologies, PTD also offers fundamental changes on how scientists and researchers regard themselves in relation to farmers. In effect, scientists and researchers can have a second look at themselves, review their behavior and adopt new systems of learning based on joint learning and action.
The author can be contacted at the Agricultural Systems Cluster, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, 4031 Laguna, Philippines.
Ma. Teresa L. de Guzman ([email protected])
Research dealing with soil erosion has traditionally been conducted at research stations on a micro-plot scale, usually a few square meters, with a single land use. This method provides a scientific basis for the technical factors affecting soil erosion, but fails to consider other factors affecting the adoption of soil and water conservation technologies. To address this problem, the MSEC approach was used to develop and promote sustainable land management technologies using the catchment watershed as the unit of management.
The MSEC methodology employs a participatory and interdisciplinary approach in managing land resources at the catchment scale. It involves the participation of a whole range of stakeholders, from land users to policymakers, in trying to generate and promote improved land use practices that will provide positive changes both within and outside the catchment.
The MSEC approach is being implemented in seven countries in Asia (Indonesia, Lao PDR, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam), coordinated by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). The first phase of the project was funded by the Asian Development Bank which was implemented from October 1998 to December 2002, and the second phase was funded by IWMI from January to December 2003.
The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) coordinated the project that is jointly implemented by Central Mindanao University (CMU), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Region X (DENR-X), the local government unit of Lantapan, Bukidnon, and the upland farmers. The project site was located in the 84.5-ha Mapawa catchment in Sitio Mapawa, Barangay Songco, Lantapan, Bukidnon.
The Philippine project team reported that in general, bigger catchments produced smaller soil loss because of the greater area where eroded soil was deposited. Mapawa, the biggest subcatchment, which is about 25 ha and is mostly covered with trees and grasses, gave the lowest average annual soil loss of 117 kg/ha. The smallest subcatchment of 0.94 ha, with a high percentage of cultivated area had the highest average annual soil loss of 36 tonnes/ha. The subcatchment of about 8 ha, which had the lowest percentage of cultivated area but also had some settlements, had an average annual soil loss of 0.672 tonne/ha. Using the replacement cost approach, which takes the value of soil loss as equivalent to the cost of replacing lost nutrients, the average on-site cost of soil erosion per year in Mapawa was estimated at PhP32 704/ha.
Through the MSEC project in Mapawa, farmers became aware of the volume of soil loss as a result of improper catchment management practices. To address the problem, the farmers selected natural vegetative strips (NVS) as the preferred catchment management option. NVS is a farm management practice that uses naturally growing grasses and some agroforestry crops as hedgerows.
Other options identified were the planting of pasture legumes during idle periods, and bamboos for streambank stabilization. The impacts of these management options in Mapawa are currently being evaluated by the project.
The author can be contacted at the Agricultural Resources Management Research Division, Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development, Los Baños, 4030 Laguna, Philippines.
Leah P. Arboleda ([email protected])
Several world leaders in agriculture, natural resources, and the environment are set to speak at the 1st World Congress of Agroforestry, to be held from 27 June to 2 July 2004 at the Hilton Hotel in the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida, USA.
With the theme "Working together for sustainable land-use systems," the congress discussions will focus on five major topics to be delivered by the experts in the plenary sessions:
(1) "Improvement of rural livelihoods" by the Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization;
(2) "Enhancement of the environmental landscape" by Dr. MS Swaminathan, world leader in agriculture and natural resources and also a leading figure in the Green Revolution;
(3) "Agroforestry science and education" by Dr. Pedro Sanchez, the 2002 World Food Prize laureate and former Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF);
(4) "Policy, social and institutional issues" by Dr. Jim Mosely, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture of the US Department of Agriculture;" and
(5) "Agroforestry: the next 25 years by Dr. Dennis Garrity, ICRAF director general.
These major topics will also be discussed in eight subplenary symposia (biodiversity, eco-agriculture, ecological basis of North American agroforestry, environmental benefits and carbon sequestration, public/private partnerships, technology transfer, trees and markets, and water issues).
The congress will have more than 20 concurrent oral presentations, and two poster sessions. The inaugural address, of "Agriculture and the environment -- bridging the divide through agroforestry," will be given by Norman Borlaug, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and leading figure in the Green Revolution.
For more information, contact Ms. Mandy Padgett-Stage, Congress Coordinator, Office of Conference and Institutes, University of Florida/ IFAS, PO Box 11070, Gainesville, FL 32611-0750, USA, Tel 1-352-392-5930, Fax 12-352-392-9734, E-mail [email protected] or visit the congress web site at http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/wca/
(Source: Congress 2nd annoucement, April 2003 and WCA Newsletter, December 2003)
Leah P. Arboleda ([email protected])
he Institute of Agroforestry of the University of the Philippines Los Baños is inviting project managers, supervisors, researchers, field technicians, farmer/community leaders and other development workers to the 2004 series of agroforestry training courses:
· Planning and managing agroforestry projects (PMAP). From 27 June to 10 July, participants will be discussing agroforestry farm planning tools, and monitoring and evaluation methods and techniques of agroforestry projects.
· Sustainable agriculture through agroforestry initiatives of people in the uplands (SAGIP-Uplands). From 25 July to 7 August, participants will learn the concepts and significance of agroforestry and sustainable agriculture/ development in relation to natural and managed ecosystems. The course will develop and apply key indicators while discussing techniques for diagnosing problems, needs, constraints and opportunities. The concepts of integrated pest management and actual application of the sustainabilty indicators through farm visits will also be addressed.
· Agroforestry production practices and management (AG-PRO). From 22 August to 4 September, participants will be taught the various agroforestry production technologies, their corresponding management strategies, seed technology and nursery management and other supportive technologies.
· Agroforestry postproduction systems (AG-POST). From 19 September to 2 October, participants will be discussing the principles and processes of different postproduction technologies in the areas of agricultural crops, perennial crops, and animal and dairy products. Marketing, financing, credit and other support services for agroforestry postproduction will also be tackled.
· Participatory technology development for agroforestry (PT-DAF). From 17 to 30 October, participants will be equipped with the "how-to’s" of promoting agroforestry extension, research and development activities through participatory appraisal, on-farm trials, farmers’ field schools, etc.
These courses may also be offered onsite, as special training courses upon request. Additional special courses may be developed to address the capability building needs of local and international institutions in agroforestry and related fields.
Study tours for foreign participants can be arranged to provide a good overview of agroforestry practices in the Philippines. Interested participants should have at least two years experience in implementing community-based development projects.
For more information, please contact: The Director, Institute of Agroforestry, 2/F Tamesis Hall, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, PO Box 35023, College, 4031, Laguna, Philippines.
Felisa Malabayabas ([email protected])
The Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry and Natural Resources is announcing its 2004-2005 international training courses and study tours:
Biodiversity monitoring and assessment techniques (BIOMAT) - 20 April to 31 May 2004; 19 April to 30 May 2005
Application of GIS in natural resources policy research (GIS-POLICY) - 11 to 24 May 2004; 10 to 23 May 2005
Study tour on forestry and environment training management (ST-FORENT) - 11 to 24 May 2004; 10 to 23 May 2005
Forest products marketing (PROMARK) - 01 June to 12 July 2004; 07 June to 18 July 2005
Agroforestry for sustainable development (AGFOR) - 1 June to 12 July 2004; 7 June to 18 July 2005
Geomatics for natural resource management (GEO-NRM) - 6 July to 16 August 2004; 5 July to 15 August 2005
Production technology of seeds and seedlings for environmental restoration (PROSEEDS) - 3 to 23 August 2004; 2 to 22 August 2005
Policy planning and programming on natural resources and agriculture (PNRA) - 10 August to 6 September 2004; 9 August to 5 September 2005
Sustainable forest resources management and project planning (SUSTAIN) - 24 August to 4 October 2004; 23 August to 3 October 2005
Social forestry for sustainable rural development (SOCFOR) - 7 September to 18 October 2004; 6 September to 17 October 2005
Environmental impact assessment for proposed forestry development projects (EIA) - 12 October to 22 November 2004; 11 October to 21 November 2005
Participatory approaches in forestry and natural resources development projects (PARTEF) - 19 October to 29 November 2004; 18 October to 28 November 2005
Foreste utilization technologies for sustainable development (FUTECH) - 9 November to 6 December; 8 November to 5 December
For more details, please contact: The Director, Training Center for Tropical Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability (TREES), College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, P.O. Box 434; College, 4031 Laguna, Philippines, Tel. Nos. +(63 49) 536-2268 or 536-2736, Fax: +(63 49) 536-3340, and E-mail: [email protected]. Information can also be accessed through their web site at www.apafri.org/trees/index.htm.
Leah P. Arboleda ([email protected])
Beginners in rural development work can now avail themselves of the concepts, tools and processes of participatory rural appraisal (PRA) which has been packaged in an easy-to-use guidebook by the University of the Philippines Los Baños Farming Systems and Soil Resources Institute (UPLB-FSSRI) and the Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung GmbH (InWEnt-Capacity Building International, Germany). Written by Dr. Blesilda M. Calub of UPLB-FSSRI, the guidebook is divided into three parts. Part 1 provides the reader with the basic PRA concepts. Part 2 describes the more popularly used PRA tools. Part 3 proposes the steps in organizing a PRA.
The guidebook was written for local communities and government and nongovernmental organizations using participatory methods in rural development work. It may also be used by trainers and facilitators to complement PRA training activities, and by teachers and students of sustainable agriculture, farming systems, agricultural systems and agroforestry for classroom discussions and field practicum. According to Dr. Calub, PRA is an "on-going learning process, a resource intended to be fluid rather than prescriptive." Hence, the tools and suggestions presented in the guidebook should be modified to suit local conditions.
For more information, contact Dr. Calub, Agricultural Systems Cluster, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, 4031 Laguna, Philippines, E-mail [email protected] or [email protected].
The demand for forest products will continue to grow as population and incomes increase. Environmental and social impacts of plantation schemes pose the greatest challenge to plantation foresters in the new millennium. Key questions will not be whether there will be enough wood, but where it should come from, who will produce it, and how it should be produced. Trends have been moving from large-scale state industrial plantations toward the private sector and smallholder plantations, and the partnership between the two. In the global context, partnership has become a fashionable approach in filling the gaps in forest management.
In 2000, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations commissioned a report entitled "Global survey and analytical framework for forestry out-grower arrangements." Based on a postal survey and literature review, this global overview identified the need for clear mechanisms for mutually beneficial partnerships between tree growers and the private industry.
Participatory action learning and research, jointly conducted by farm foresters, private companies, research and extension agencies, government and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), that is closely linked to sustainable forest management criteria and indicators, can lead to models of sustainable development in the forest sector. Using this approach, issues of social justice and ecological sustainability can be addressed.
Multistakeholder negotiations and dialogues are needed as more and more initiatives are developed by the private sector. However, there are no systematic assessment guidelines or checklists to assist companies or farm foresters when entering production forestry partnerships. Many partnerships have failed due to the lack of transparency and accountability. The key to sustaining partnerships in the long term is to ensure that they are mutually beneficial for all.
Toward this end, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), FAO and partners have jointly developed guidelines aimed at facilitating the transparency of negotiations and the development of mutually beneficial partnerships in production forestry. These guidelines focus on the operational level, specifically on the forest management unit of small-scale plantations.
