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In November 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest typhoon to make landfall in recorded history swept through the central regions of the Philippines. It affected 14.1 million people, devastated 600 000 hectares of farmland and caused over USD 700 million in damage to the agriculture sector. More than half of this damage (approximately USD 396 million) was in the coconut subsector. An estimated 44 million trees were damaged or destroyed, affecting 1.7 million people engaged in coconut farming-related activities, including farm owners, workers, traders and those in transport and logistics. The impact on livelihoods was devastating as coconut seedlings take an average of six to eight years to reach productivity. Replanting coconut trees was not a sufficient response. Interventions called for providing other sources of food and income and strengthening resilience to future disasters. There was a serious need to provide alternative livelihoods and address food security issues. In response to the urgent need for a massive and coordinated assistance to enable coconut farming communities to recover and build resilience for future disasters, FAO integrated the Coconut-Based Farming Systems (CBFS) in its Typhoon Haiyan Emergency, Recovery and Rehabilitation Programme. 

After consultations with government partners and community-based organizations, FAO determined the suitability of promoting Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT). Also known as contour farming, SALT is an ecologically-sound technology package of soil conservation measures and food production, which provides a setting for planting short-term, medium-term, and permanent crops, grown in alleys between contoured rows of nitrogen-fixing trees or shrubs. Hedgerows are thickly planted between contoured rows. Their cuttings are then placed in alleyways to serve as organic fertilizer for the crops. Farmers can choose a variety of short-term crops (e.g. corn, eggplant, upland rice, okra, pole beans, squash, mung bean, peanut, bitter gourd, ladyfinger), medium-term crops (e.g. sweet potato, ginger, and pineapple) and permanent crops (e.g. banana, calamansi and other fruit trees) depending on family or community requirements. Planting different short-term crops in a cyclical manner provides farmers with harvests throughout the year. The use of Madre de Cacao, an inexpensive leguminous tree that is very easy to propagate, for hedgerows, is a common practice. Because it is easy to grow and uses less water, it can withstand drought and makes a good plant crop in agroforestry. Forage crops are also used as an alternative to Madre de Cacao for hedgerows and are ideal for land conservation and reclamation as well as feed for livestock. SALT is specifically for smallholder farmers with few tools, little capital and limited farming grounds. 

Farmer cooperatives received training on the establishment and maintenance of SALT sites. The training involved an on-site demonstration. A planning session was also conducted with the farmer cooperatives to ensure that the planting of inputs follows the SALT layout and concept. To further emphasize the importance of adopting climate-smart farming technologies, one SALT demonstration farm per beneficiary municipality was established and used as venue for the conduct of Climate-Smart Farmer Field School (CS-FFS). The FFS training was conducted by agricultural technicians, including government staff and local farmers. They participated in training of trainers on SALT and replicated the same training with other farmers. The training consisted of a two-day workshop followed by a 12-week course on assorted vegetable production. A total of 65 agricultural technicians (including 39 women) completed the course while simultaneously implementing the CS-FSS in their respective regions. The training of trainers and CS-FSS were implemented in partnership with the Visayas State University and Leyte Normal University. 

FAO provided all planting materials and fertilizer for the first cropping season. Small farm tools were also provided to many of the SALT sites by FAO, the local government units and other government agencies. 

Results:

• Most of the communities under the CBFS intervention are located in upland areas. The SALT approach enabled farmers to plant vegetables and other cash crops to complement their main crops (e.g. coconut and corn). This offered farmers a more diversified source of food and income. Farmers are now able to earn income from short-term crops every three to four months; from medium-term crops every five to 12 months; and from perennial crops every fruiting season. 
• FAO established more than 100 SALT sites in Haiyan-affected regions, which benefitted more than 2 200 households and 74 community-based organizations that rely on coconut-based farming systems for their livelihood. 
• Many of the farmers working with community-based organizations in the project are now practicing the technology on their own personal plots. 
• SALT sites are located in the farmers’ own communities, allowing women to participate more fully in farming activities and earn additional income. 
• Local government units help sustain the project by providing technical assistance and reinforcing the SALT design and concept by coaching and mentoring farmers.
• In Palompon, one of the beneficiary municipalities in Leyte, the local government unit converted three other sites into demonstration plots and replicated the CS-FFS programme with their own funding. 
• The modules and training material used by some agricultural technicians in the CS-FFS have combined FAO and technical inputs from the local government unit to form a partnership in knowledge sharing. Provincial agriculturists and coconut development officers from the Philippine Coconut Authority also participated as resource speakers.
• Collaboration with the different levels of government, especially the local government units, contributed greatly to the sustainability of the SALT activity. Government partners have been involved and consulted at every level of the process. This ensured greater sustainability of field practices and knowledge transfer, effective relationships with government and beneficiaries, and 'ownership' of the SALT sites by both the community-base organizations and the the local government units. 
• Crop diversification helps in soil conservation and nutrient preservation, and the use of leguminous crops and perennial trees stabilizes and enriches the soil. 
• Promotion of crop rotation and crop diversification helps reduce infestations of pests and diseases.

Authors: Simone Borelli and Jose Luis Fernandez (FAO)

Source: FAO Project