The remaining forests of the Philippine uplands are under great pressure. While an increasing num... more The remaining forests of the Philippine uplands are under great pressure. While an increasing number of upland dwellers depends on agriculture as their only source of income, the government simultaneously aims to conserve the remaining forest. Complex and often conflicting regulations on land-use rights are further complicating this situation. This study examines the extent to which agroforestry can be a sustainable land use option and thus help to resolve this conflict between conservation and income generation aims. A total of 100 agroforestry parcels in the provinces of Southern Leyte and Misamis Oriental were analyzed and stratified according to their main crop; and a combination of primary data from interviews with 107 farmers, expert opinion, and secondary literature sources was used to evaluate the sustainability of six different types of agroforestry systems. The study revealed that timber tree based agroforestry systems are most sustainable, followed by rubber-based and coffee-based systems. However, timber tree based agroforestry in the Philippine uplands has drawbacks; farmers often struggle to get the legal permits required to harvest trees. In addition, once trees are harvested, farmers often opt to replant annual crops due to low prices for wood. In terms of income generation rubber-based agroforestry achieved by far the best results. But independent of the type of agroforestry system, good results on socioeconomic indicators are not due to the crop selection alone. A major contribution is good management practices during the transition period (i.e., the time from planting to the first harvest of perennial crops). Availability of training and extension services for the transition period are decisive factors contributing to this success. In contrast, low scores on socio-economic indicators can be attributed to inadequate farm management practices (e.g., fertilizing, pruning, rejuvenating, pest control), to the use of low-quality seedlings, and to the old age of respective perennial plants. With only a few exceptions, the study results confirm that farmers without secure and long-term land tenure earn less income. However, the assumption that there is a trade-off between economic benefits and environmental services could not be confirmed. Based on these results, a set of recommendations is provided.
The remaining forests of the Philippine uplands are under great pressure. While an increasing num... more The remaining forests of the Philippine uplands are under great pressure. While an increasing number of upland dwellers depends on agriculture as their only source of income, the government simultaneously aims to conserve the remaining forest. Complex and often conflicting regulations on land-use rights are further complicating this situation. This study examines the extent to which agroforestry can be a sustainable land use option and thus help to resolve this conflict between conservation and income generation aims. A total of 100 agroforestry parcels in the provinces of Southern Leyte and Misamis Oriental were analyzed and stratified according to their main crop; and a combination of primary data from interviews with 107 farmers, expert opinion, and secondary literature sources was used to evaluate the sustainability of six different types of agroforestry systems. The study revealed that timber tree based agroforestry systems are most sustainable, followed by rubber-based and coffee-based systems. However, timber tree based agroforestry in the Philippine uplands has drawbacks; farmers often struggle to get the legal permits required to harvest trees. In addition, once trees are harvested, farmers often opt to replant annual crops due to low prices for wood. In terms of income generation rubber-based agroforestry achieved by far the best results. But independent of the type of agroforestry system, good results on socioeconomic indicators are not due to the crop selection alone. A major contribution is good management practices during the transition period (i.e., the time from planting to the first harvest of perennial crops). Availability of training and extension services for the transition period are decisive factors contributing to this success. In contrast, low scores on socio-economic indicators can be attributed to inadequate farm management practices (e.g., fertilizing, pruning, rejuvenating, pest control), to the use of low-quality seedlings, and to the old age of respective perennial plants. With only a few exceptions, the study results confirm that farmers without secure and long-term land tenure earn less income. However, the assumption that there is a trade-off between economic benefits and environmental services could not be confirmed. Based on these results, a set of recommendations is provided.
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This study examines the extent to which agroforestry can be a sustainable land use option and thus help to resolve this conflict between conservation and income
generation aims. A total of 100 agroforestry parcels in the provinces of Southern Leyte and Misamis Oriental were analyzed and stratified according to their main crop; and a combination of primary data from interviews with 107 farmers, expert opinion, and secondary literature sources was used to evaluate the sustainability of six different types of agroforestry systems.
The study revealed that timber tree based agroforestry systems are most sustainable, followed by rubber-based and coffee-based systems. However, timber tree based agroforestry in the Philippine uplands has drawbacks; farmers often struggle to get the legal permits required to harvest trees. In addition, once trees are harvested, farmers often opt to replant annual crops due to low prices for wood. In terms of income generation rubber-based agroforestry achieved by far the best results. But independent of the type of agroforestry system, good results on socioeconomic indicators are not due to the crop selection alone. A major contribution is good management practices during the transition period (i.e., the time from planting to the first harvest of perennial crops). Availability of training and extension services for the transition period are decisive factors contributing to this success. In contrast, low scores on socio-economic indicators can be attributed to inadequate farm management practices (e.g., fertilizing, pruning, rejuvenating, pest control), to the use of low-quality seedlings, and to the old age of respective perennial plants.
With only a few exceptions, the study results confirm that farmers without secure and long-term land tenure earn less income. However, the assumption that there is a trade-off between economic benefits and environmental services could not be confirmed. Based on these results, a set of recommendations is provided.
This study examines the extent to which agroforestry can be a sustainable land use option and thus help to resolve this conflict between conservation and income
generation aims. A total of 100 agroforestry parcels in the provinces of Southern Leyte and Misamis Oriental were analyzed and stratified according to their main crop; and a combination of primary data from interviews with 107 farmers, expert opinion, and secondary literature sources was used to evaluate the sustainability of six different types of agroforestry systems.
The study revealed that timber tree based agroforestry systems are most sustainable, followed by rubber-based and coffee-based systems. However, timber tree based agroforestry in the Philippine uplands has drawbacks; farmers often struggle to get the legal permits required to harvest trees. In addition, once trees are harvested, farmers often opt to replant annual crops due to low prices for wood. In terms of income generation rubber-based agroforestry achieved by far the best results. But independent of the type of agroforestry system, good results on socioeconomic indicators are not due to the crop selection alone. A major contribution is good management practices during the transition period (i.e., the time from planting to the first harvest of perennial crops). Availability of training and extension services for the transition period are decisive factors contributing to this success. In contrast, low scores on socio-economic indicators can be attributed to inadequate farm management practices (e.g., fertilizing, pruning, rejuvenating, pest control), to the use of low-quality seedlings, and to the old age of respective perennial plants.
With only a few exceptions, the study results confirm that farmers without secure and long-term land tenure earn less income. However, the assumption that there is a trade-off between economic benefits and environmental services could not be confirmed. Based on these results, a set of recommendations is provided.