The COVID-19 pandemic has led to global crisis putting lives as well as livelihood worldwide at risk. Besides their vulnerability to natural calamities such as typhoon and the global climate change phenomenon, the agricultural sector, the backbone economy providing major livelihood in developing countries is seriously disrupted by the global pandemic. Amongst the most exposed to the risks of this pandemic are vulnerable smallholder farmers in the Philippine uplands inhabiting the marginal hilly lands. The smallholder farmers bear the brunt of this crisis as there are critical interruptions in the food system. It is therefore imperative to enhance the adaptive capacity of smallholder farmers in the uplands, redesign their production system and transform these communities to be shock resilient. This proposed capacity development project aims to increase the resilience of vulnerable smallholder farmers in the uplands from critical and pervasive threats of COVID-19 pandemic. The project specifically aims to build the knowledge and skills of upland smallholder farmers, farmer organizations, and local government units in the design and establishment of appropriate agroforestry systems in their local communities; utilize and strengthen the resources and capacity of local multi-stakeholders respectively, for collaborative resilience-building projects; and, formulate policy recommendations for institutionalization of adaptive and resilience-building programs.
Project leader
Collaborators
Forester Rowena Esperanza D. Cabahug, OIC Director – Institute of Agroforetsry
“Convincing smallholder farmers to shift from their conventional corn-based farming systems toward integration of fruit trees was not at all easy. With scientific assessment and planning through the Agroforestry Land Capability Mapping Scheme (ALCAMS), however, model farms were established that shows potential benefits in enhancing the overall resilience of their farms through diversifying farm productivity and increasing farm income, among others. The multisectoral-participatory strategy/approach in each of the key stages of project implementation enhanced and firmed-up coordination and support from all agencies concerned such as the LGUs, DENR, SCUs, and most importantly among the partner POs/farmers/barangays”.
Dr. Emerson V. Barcellano, Project Collaborator
“The project is timely and favorable to the environment. Timely because it helps increase the production of the area and improve the micro environment of the area”.
Dr. Jose Nestor M. Garcia, Project Collaborator
“The project has opened the eyes of age-old corn monocropping farmers in the project sites to the possibility of integrating with corn other crops especially perennial crops turning their farms into an agroforestry system that can make their livelihood more profitable, climate resilient, and sustainable. As more farmers are getting interested in agroforestry, let us join hands as we sustain a new hope for better land resource management, and improved well-being of the upland farmers, with agroforestry as our means to make these things happen. Let us intensify and sustain the promotion and adoption of agroforestry towards sustainable natural resources”.
Project publications
Report: Establishment of corn-based agroforestry system in selected upland farming communities in the province of Isabela, Philippines
Report: Agroforestry program and policy analysis in the municipalities of Cabagan, Tumauini, and San Pablo, Isabela – A self-assessment workshop
Report: Training of trainers on integrated soil fertility and pest management in corn-based agroforestry systems
Report: Training on basic agroforestry system concepts and establishments
Report: Participatory resiliency assessment of selected upland farming communities in the Province of Isabela, Philippines
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