ῌ ῌ ῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌῌ Received: October , , Accepted: November , * Corresponding author: Institute of Agroforestry, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Ba˜ nos, College, Laguna, Philippines. Tel/Fax: , E-mail: llt @yahoo.com Director and University Researcher II, Institute of Agroforestry, University of the Philippines Los Ban ˜os, College Laguna, Philippines In this paper we argue that sustainable natural resource management is the key to sustainable development. Sustainable natural resource management can only be achieved if environmental stability, socioeconomic productivity, and social acceptability are all achieved. We also argue that agroforestry is a strategy that can help achieve sustainable development in the Philippines. Agroforestry is a land use management system that combines the production of woody perennials and agricultural crops, which may also include livestock husbandry or aquaculture, with the aim of meeting both ecological and economic objectives. From what began as a simple farm practice, agroforestry has evolved into a field of science and academic discipline. We highlight the historical developments and milestones in the progression of agroforestry as a develop- ment strategy and in agroforestry education programs in the Philippines. Agroforestry education and training developed in response to the need to rehabilitate and restore degraded upland environments. Programs in this field aim to train and produce people equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to promote the science and practice of agroforestry at all levels to promote sustainable natural resources management. Because of the immense potential of agroforestry as a development strategy, a number of local development organizations have expressed the need for trained workers who are equipped with knowledge and skills in various aspects of agroforestry. However, fewer students are selecting agroforestry education programs. Finally, in this paper we claim that there is a clear link between agroforestry education and sustainable development. Agroforestry addresses the socioeconomic production needs of farmers, while at the same time ensuring environmental stability. These are the prime concepts of sustainable development. : natural resources management, forest conservation, community participation, capacity building ment on forested uplands (del Castillo, ). Dur- misuse, and mismanagement of the country’s natu- ral resources. Until the s, the Philippine Government em- The Philippines is an archipelago located in ployed a regulatory and punitive approach to coun- Southeast Asia with rich natural resources compris- tering forest destruction and residential encroach- ing large mountainous tracts of tropical forest, mineral deposits, and a long coastline providing ac- ing the s, the government’s policy on forest cess to marine resources. However, the Philippines occupancy and the traditional upland farming method experiences endemic urban and rural poverty and known as or slash-and-burn farm- numerous problems related to environmental man- ing, shifted to a more development-focused and agement. The combination of poverty and pop- people-oriented approach (del Castillo, ). This ulation pressure has led to various forms of abuse, approach embraced the concept of actively seeking Lutgarda L. Tolentino* and Leila D. Landicho Journal of Developments in Sustainable Agriculture : ( ) kaingin-making, Key words Promoting Sustainable Development via Agroforestry Education: Lessons and Experiences from the Philippines Recognition of Agroforestry in Promoting Sustainable Development + , + , + ,*+* ,. ,*+* 0- .3 /-0 -2*3 ,**- +333 +31* +31* +333 0 2 +3 ,*++
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Received: October , , Accepted: November ,
* Corresponding author: Institute of Agroforestry, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los
Banos, College, Laguna, Philippines.
Tel/Fax: , E-mail: llt @yahoo.com
Director and University Researcher II, Institute of Agroforestry, University of the Philippines
Los Banos, College Laguna, Philippines
In this paper we argue that sustainable natural resource management is the key to sustainable development.
Sustainable natural resource management can only be achieved if environmental stability, socioeconomic
productivity, and social acceptability are all achieved. We also argue that agroforestry is a strategy that can help
achieve sustainable development in the Philippines.
Agroforestry is a land use management system that combines the production of woody perennials and
agricultural crops, which may also include livestock husbandry or aquaculture, with the aim of meeting both
ecological and economic objectives. From what began as a simple farm practice, agroforestry has evolved into
a field of science and academic discipline.
We highlight the historical developments and milestones in the progression of agroforestry as a develop-
ment strategy and in agroforestry education programs in the Philippines. Agroforestry education and training
developed in response to the need to rehabilitate and restore degraded upland environments. Programs in this
field aim to train and produce people equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to promote the
science and practice of agroforestry at all levels to promote sustainable natural resources management.
Because of the immense potential of agroforestry as a development strategy, a number of local development
organizations have expressed the need for trained workers who are equipped with knowledge and skills in
various aspects of agroforestry. However, fewer students are selecting agroforestry education programs.
Finally, in this paper we claim that there is a clear link between agroforestry education and sustainable
development. Agroforestry addresses the socioeconomic production needs of farmers, while at the same time
ensuring environmental stability. These are the prime concepts of sustainable development.
: natural resources management, forest conservation, community participation, capacity building
ment on forested uplands (del Castillo, ). Dur-
misuse, and mismanagement of the country’s natu-
ral resources.
Until the s, the Philippine Government em-
The Philippines is an archipelago located in ployed a regulatory and punitive approach to coun-
Southeast Asia with rich natural resources compris- tering forest destruction and residential encroach-
ing large mountainous tracts of tropical forest,
mineral deposits, and a long coastline providing ac- ing the s, the government’s policy on forest
cess to marine resources. However, the Philippines occupancy and the traditional upland farming method
experiences endemic urban and rural poverty and known as or slash-and-burn farm-
numerous problems related to environmental man- ing, shifted to a more development-focused and
agement. The combination of poverty and pop- people-oriented approach (del Castillo, ). This
ulation pressure has led to various forms of abuse, approach embraced the concept of actively seeking
Lutgarda L. Tolentino* and Leila D. Landicho
Journal of Developments in Sustainable Agriculture : ( )
kaingin-making,
Key words
Promoting Sustainable Development via Agroforestry Education:
Lessons and Experiences from the Philippines
Recognition of Agroforestry in
Promoting Sustainable Development
+ ,
+ ,
+ ,*+* ,. ,*+*
0- .3 /-0 -2*3 ,**-
+333
+31*
+31*
+333
0 2 +3 ,*++
Tolentino and Landicho: Lessons from Agroforestry in the Philippines
agricultural (Leakey as cited by Carandang
years, and often many more, before any direct bene-
the participation of forest occupants in protecting The definition of agroforestry has evolved over
and conserving forest resources. time. Today, agroforestry is viewed as a dynamic,
Forestry Administrative Order No. , known as ecologically based, natural resource management
the Kaingin Management and Land Settlement system that integrates trees on farms as a means to
Regulations, was issued in and emphasized diversify and sustain production within landscapes
site-based management on the part of forest occu- that can be predominantly forest or predominantly
pants in upland areas. This regulation led to the
implementation of the Revised Forestry Code of ). Lasco and Visco ( ) defined agro-
the Philippines in , which prescribed that agro- forestry as a production system that has two or
forestry management be adopted in occupied fore- more species of plants (with or without animals), at
stlands. A number of development-oriented and least one of which is a woody perennial; two or
people-oriented forestry programs were imple- more outputs; a cropping system that is always
mented by the Department of Environment and longer than a -year cycle; and is characterized by
Natural Resources (DENR) over the years follow- significant interactions between woody and non-
ing enactment of the new code (Table ). woody components. Bene ( ) argue that
Tolentino ( ) assessed the demand for agroforestry, as a sustainable land use management
agroforestry competency in the Philippines. They system, can increase the overall yield of the land. It
surveyed some institutions involved in delivering can produce direct benefits such as food, fodder,
sustainable natural resources management pro- feed for fish and livestock, fuel, fiber, poles and
grams and found that the most common type of timber, and other products such as gums, latex, oil,
project or activity was some form of agroforestry and herbal medicines. Likewise, it can provide
development. Other projects and activities that oc- indirect benefits or “service roles” such as soil and
curred with high frequency were reforestation and water conservation, improved soil fertility, micro-
regreening, watershed management, upland devel- climate amelioration, live fencing, and many more.
opment, and community-based forest management. These multiple direct and indirect benefits have
Many of the current reforestation projects funded obviously expanded the role of agroforestry over a
by the Development Bank of the Philippines and wide range of land use contexts. It integrates the
being undertaken by local governments, academic features of both agriculture and forestry and may
institutions, and people’s organizations also em- have arisen specifically to address the need for
brace agroforestry. Non-government organizations environmental stability and economic productivity
(NGOs) include agroforestry as a module when in environmentally vulnerable settings. Thus, agro-
delivering capacity-building programs in the field of forestry as a land use may have emerged to respond
natural resources management. These facts show to the needs of society that were not addressed by
that agroforestry development and promotion are a agriculture and forestry.
major priority in the programs and activities of Agroforestry is also a production system that can
most of the public and non-government develop- contribute to the mitigation of and adaptation to
mental organizations in the Philippines. climate change. Agroforestry systems can store five
times more carbon from the atmosphere than tradi-
tional croplands (International Food Policy Re-
Agriculture is the production of crops in mono- search Institute, ).
culture or crop-combinations; trees play no integral
role other than perhaps as windbreaks and bound-
aries. Forestry is the production of trees, with no
role for agricultural crops. Hence, people who are The accumulation of a body of knowledge on
engaged in agriculture produce only products from agroforestry and the recognition of agroforestry as
crops, and people engaged in forestry produce only a strategy to overcome environmental degradation
timber products that usually take a minimum of while sustaining livelihoods in upland communities
prompted research and educational institutions in
fits are obtained. the Philippines to implement formal and non-
et al.,
et al.,
et al.
et al.
Emergence and Evolution of Agroforestry Edu-
cation Programs
How agroforestry practice di ers from agriculture
and forestry
9
+330
0,
+31+
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+
+ +311,*+*
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J. Dev. Sus. Agr. ( )10
estlands into productive farmlands to provide economi-
The Upland Development Program was launched hand-
socioeconomic conditions of forest occupants and com-
Timeline of people-oriented forestry programs in the Philippines (DENR, ; www.denr.gov.ph)
Year ofPeople-oriented forestry program Brief description
implementation
Family Approach to Reforestation This program was designed to help raise the living
conditions of upland farmers and those living near
forestlands. It was a -year contract program o ered
to families to hasten the reforestation e orts of the
government by allowing them to plant trees in cleared
forestlands, intercrop trees with agricultural crops,
and harvest their crops within the contract period.
Communal Tree Farm (CTF) The CTF prioritized the development of degraded for-
cally viable landholdings to participating farmers who
would rehabilitate open and denuded forestlands.
Participating families were given a -year CTF cer-
tificate, renewable for another years, and a package
of incentives such as tax exemption on produce, no
government share of the income from agroforestry
plantations, and technical assistance for implementa-
tion of income-generating projects.
Integrated Social Forestry The ISFP was launched to maximize upland produc-
Program (ISFP) tivity, enhance ecological stability, and improve the
munities. The ISFP was expected to democratize the
use of public lands and promote a more equitable
distribution of forest bounty through stewardship
principles.
Upland Development Program
in-hand with the ISFP to facilitate the participatory
approach to promoting sustainable upland develop-
ment.
National Forestation Program This program was designed to rehabilitate denuded
forestlands and provide income opportunities to up-
land communities through the reforestation of open
lands and rehabilitation of denuded watersheds for
sustained production of wood and other products for
wood-based industries;
Community Forestry Program This program allowed people’s organizations to ex-
(CFP) tract, process, and sell forest products for years; the
program is renewable for another years.
Community-Based Forest The CBFM integrated and unified all people-oriented
Management Program (CBFM) forestry activities of the ISFP, CFP, Coastal Environ-
ment Program, and Ancestral Domains. This program
entitled forest communities to use and develop the
forestland and resources for years with the active
participation of the DENR and local government units.
Upland Agroforestry Program The new Upland Agroforestry Program (UAfP) allows