Short description of the best practice

Vegetable-Agroforestry System (VAF) is a viable farming system that integrates vegetables in tree-based systems, and vice-versa. The system offers better prospects and viable options for smallholder farmers because it increases farm productivity, economic profitability, nutrient use efficiency and environmental services.|

Location

Lantapan, Bukidnon, Philippines|

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

35465.0

Estimated population living in the location:

51406.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

Soil types are classified as Adtuyon and Kidapawan clays, which are mostly well drained.|
Lantapan is relatively cool and humid with winds blowing northward direction. The hottest time of the year usually takes place during the months of November to April, while the coldest from May to October. Mountains of neighboring towns in the north protect Lantapan from cyclone storms.|
Lantapan has an average elevation of 600 m, which increases as one proceeds northwest to Mt. Kitanglad Range National Park (MKRNP) to a maximum of 2938 m. About 70% of the area has slopes greater than 10%.|

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

It has an agricultural-based economy. Up to the early 90s, 90% of the households have been dependent on smallholder farming. The most widely planted food crops are corn, coffee and sugarcane. Cabbage, potatoes and other vegetables are also expansively cultivated in the upper areas. However, this changed since two large corporations started banana production in the late 90s. It is estimated that about 60% of the total labor force of Lantapan are now employed in commercial agricultural enterprises|
Of the total area of 35465 hectares, 21215 hectares are classified as alienable and disposable lands (A&D), while 14250 hectares are public lands (forests). A&D are privately-held lands, while public lands have been delineated as forest areas for protection (MKRNP) and production areas (buffer zone). Existing forest use rights include Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) and Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) certificates. There is also a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim (CADC).|
Majority of the farming communities are living below the average poverty line.

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

VAF system provides multiple benefits, including provision of micro-nutrients to the diet of rural communities, enhancement of on-farm agro-diversity and environmental sustainability. It also improves the provision of environmental services, particularly carbon sequestration that mitigates global warming. If properly integrated with vegetables, trees can
provide the following benefits:
• Improve farm’s productivity by serving as windbreaks and improving micro-climate;
• Increase the income of farmers due to agro-diversity;
• Maintain soil organic matters due to litter fall and decayed roots; and
• Reduce soil erosion as contour hedges, especially in sloping farms.
Based on the experiment results, the best VAF system can increase vegetable production from 20-100%.

Main problems addressed by the best practice

Soil erosion is a major constraint to sustaining vegetable production on sloping lands in Southeast Asia. In tree depleted landscapes with poor soils and risks prone environments, monoculture vegetable farming systems are not sustainable, but integrating trees, contour hedges to control soil erosion, increase income of farmers, and improve farm environmental services (ES) particularly on carbon sequestration, offer better prospects and a viable option for smallholders.  

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

1. Soil erosion
2. Soil infertility
3. Poor tree cover
4. Poor farm productivity

Specify the objectives of the best practice

To integrate trees on intensive vegetable farming systems with minimal negative interaction, thus increasing productivity, profitability, nutrient use efficiency and environmental services (ES).|

Brief description of main activities, by objective

1. Assess adoption of VAF system in the site.|2. Conduct researcher-managed trials on vegetable-tree-crop interactions.|3. Conduct researcher-managed and farmer-managed trials on low-cost drip irrigation system. |4. Introduce improved high yielding or indigenous vegetable germplasm in a VAF system.

Short description and technical specifications of the technology

VAF is the integration of trees under vegetable-based production system, or the integration of vegetables under tree-based systems.|
1. The technology uses suitable trees that are less competitive with vegetables. These are characterized by trees with straight canopy, deep rooted, nitrogen-fixing and with premium timber quality to ensure good market price when harvested and sold;
2. It uses optimum tree lines/hedges spacing (i.e. 25-30 meters between tree hedges and 3 meters between trees;
3. It employs appropriate pruning regime as it requires to prune trees before planting vegetables;
4. It uses suitable vegetable crops: tomatoes, carrots and cabbage for the commercial vegetables; amaranthus (TOT 2272), jute (TOT 6667)and basella (TOT 5274)and yard long beans (TVO 2141)for the indigenous vegetables; and alikway, malungay and katuray for the indigenous tree vegetables.
5. It uses best-matched trees and vegetables: carrots, Chinese cabbage, and tomatoes for the commercial vegetbles; roselle, amaranthus (TOT 4141), jute and yard long beans for the indigenous vegetables; and malungay and katuray are the suitable vegetables for planting 5-6 meters from the tree line which is the "competition zone". Chinese cabbage, carrots and tomatoes for the commercial vegetables; amaranthus (TOT 2272), jute (TOT 6667), okra and eggplant for the indigenous vegetables; and alikway and malungay for the indigenous tree vegetables are the suitable vegetable for planting 6-14 meters from the tree line which is the "complementarity zone".  
6. The technology consider vegetables crops resistant to diseases.|

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF-Philippines)|MOSCAT Compound
Claveria, 9004 Misamis Oriental
Philippines

Was the technology developed in partnership?

Yes

List the partners:

1. World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC)|2. University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• Programme/project-based initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

SSFWM in Lantapan

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

1. SSFWM – helped in the assessment of existing VAF system, served as farmer-cooperators of on-farm experiments, participatory evaluation of VAF systems being tested |

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Consultation
• Participatory approaches
• Other (please specify)

Specify:

On-farm experiments

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

1. Improve farm’s productivity by serving as windbreaks and improving micro-climate
2. Increase the income of farmers due to agro-diversity

1. Enhances on-farm agro-diversity and environmental sustainability
2. Maintain soil organic matters due to litter fall and decayed roots thus increasing productivity.

1. Provides micro-nutrient to the diet of farming communities
2. Improves the provision of environmental services (ES) that mitigates global warming

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

1. With more farmers adopting and investing on VAF, provision of ES is sustained for other beneficiaries. For example, reduced soil erosion in sloping farms will spare irrigation canals and hydropower’s reservoir from siltation and sedimentation problems. |
2. This also means sufficient water from upper ridges of Manupali watershed for the multi-national companies, irrigation farmers, hydro-power company among others downstream to use. With VAF, tree cover is increased, which sequester carbon caused by polluters, while cooler climate is maintained.  |

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

permanent trees planted as part of the technology will serve as GHG sinks that could assimilate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
VAF system makes farm productive, which minimized pressure to the forest as farmers’ alternative source of livelihoods. Furthermore, VAF improves crop diversification that in turn enhances agro-diversity|
VAF involves tree integration in the farming system.

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?

No

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Was the technology disseminated/introduced to other locations?

Yes

Where?

SANREM Annual Global Meeting in UPLB (2008), | ICRAF Science Forum in Nairobi, Kenya (2009),|4th National Agroforestry Congress in Cagayan de Oro City (2009)|Local and International Visitors

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Were incentives to facilitate the take up of the technology provided?

Yes

Specify which type of incentives:

• Policy or regulatory incentives (for example, related to market requirements and regulations, import/export, foreign investment, research & development support, etc)
• Financial incentives (for example, preferential rates, State aid, subsidies, cash grants, loan guarantees, etc)

Can you identify the three main conditions that led to the success of the presented best practice/technology?

Adoption of VAF system has socio-economic and environmental benefits.
VAF system is based on existing agroforestry system in the site. ICRAF just put science into it to maximize benefits and enhance knowledge.
VAF system, as an agroforestry system, is considered as effective adaptation measure to climate change.|

Replicability

In your opinion, the best practice/technology you have proposed can be replicated, although with some level of adaptation, elsewhere?

Yes

At which level?

• Local
• Sub-national
• National
• Subregional
• Regional
• International

Related to human resources

Research collaborations produce more technologies and knowledge beneficial to small farmers.|More farmers will adopt technologies with short, medium and long term sources of income.|More farmers will adopt technologies if there is scientific evidence to its viability, especially if this requires tree-vegetable matching.

Related to financial aspects

More farmers will adopt technologies with short, medium and long term sources of income.|

Related to technical aspects

More farmers will adopt technologies if there is scientific evidence to its viability, especially if this requires tree-vegetable matching|

Additional questions of Leg 1

Reporting entity(ies): Organizations__700__70386