Landcare in the Philippines

In the Philippines, where about 20 million people live in the uplands, sustainable andprofitable farming is a major concern (Garrity 1993). The uplands are biologicallycomplex and diverse, and have risk-prone ecosystems. With a national population ofabout 90 million, pressures in lowland areas have led to movement of people to thedifficult environment of the uplands—a life of subsistence. Further population increaseand land scarcity have resulted in the transformation in land use from subsistenceshifting cultivation into permanent agriculture on fragile slopes, and have created a neworder of social, economic and environmental problems (Garrity 1993; Maglinao andHashim 1993). The farming system in the Philippines is characterized by a large number of small-scale farmers, whose primary objective is production for family food supply. The systemis predominantly based on the production of upland rice (Oryza sativa) or maize (Zeamays). In some areas there is more focus on root crops, for example cassava (Manihotesculenta) or sweet potato (Ipomea batatas). Since most upland farmers have extremelylimited access to capital, production is generally confined to subsistence levels.

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