The Ikalahan: Towards sustainable forest use

The Ikalahan inhabit the upper, forested regions of the Cordillera and Caraballo Mountains of northern Luzon in the Philippines. Traditionally, they are shifting cultivators, primarily focused on the production of their staple food crop, sweet potato. Recent developments forced them to take action to conserve their natural resource base and think of additional livelihood strategies. By enriching fallow vegetation they have succeeded in halving the traditional fallow period, and using "Forestry Improvement Technology" they have increased the benefits derived from the forest while improving its biodiversity.