Sustainable agriculture and the environment : Philippines case study

Following an introduction, Section 2 summarizes the problem of sustainable agriculture production in the Philippines uplands, USAID"s approach to the problem, and procedures used to evaluate USAID assistance. Sections 3-5 present the evaluation"s findings on the projects" impacts and relates these findings to FSDP"s and RRDP"s strategies. Section 5 presents evidence of sustainability of impact and of the spread of activities beyond target areas. Section 6 summarizes lessons learned, while Section 7 briefly discusses the applicability of the Philippine experience to other countries. Appendices discuss farming systems research and Sloping Agricultural Lands Technology (SALT)-based farming in the Philippines and presents a bibliography. The following key lessons were learned. (1) Conservation farming practices should be introduced first in the locations where they are mostly likely to be adopted -- e.g., where there is little other land to farm, where there are serious erosion problems, and where farmers have secure land tenancy. (2) Upland conservation farming systems require institutional capacity (either public or private sector) and follow-up for sustainability and spread. (3) Systematic hands-on training at all levels must be built into upland conservation farming programs; few farmers will adopt upland agroforestry practices without training. (4) Training for project staff should be considered not only for what it does to equip them to carry out the jobs effectively but also for what they may do in post-project employment. (5) Upland farm and forest management systems need an "economic engine" for sustainability and spread. Where they are not integrated with cash enterprises, upland agroforestry practices have been abandoned.