Scaling up the Landcare and NRM planning process in Mindanao, Philippines

The International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) has been conducting research on contour hedgerow technologies for the past decade. Since adoption of the technology by farmers was low, ICRAF refocused its efforts in finding alternative systems that address the technical and institutional issues of conservation farming. Natural vegetative filter strips (NVS) provided simple solutions to the technical constraints of soil conservation on sloping farms. NVS also provided the foundation for complex agroforestry systems with fruit and timber trees. This system is being widely adopted, enhanced by a dissemination approach called Landcare which is a movement of farmer-led organisations supported by local governments with backstopping from technical service providers. This dynamic voluntary movement has grown to include more than 5,000 farmers in 250 groups from five municipalities in northern, central and eastern Mindanao. Today, Landcare has become the melting pot for farmers and others who discuss issues, share lessons, invest talents, skills and other resources geared towards better land husbandry and protection of the environment from degradation.