Local collaborative engagement toward sustainability of upland farming communities in the Philippines

In this chapter, the authors argue that local collaborative engagement is essential towards sustainability of whole upland farming communities in the Philippines. Local collaborative engagement refers to the partnership of local development organizations, particularly the local government units (LGUs), with the upland farming communities, as well as the interactions among the structures and processes within those farming communities. This conclusion is based on the results of the study conducted in nine pilot upland communities of the Conservation Farming Villages (CFV) program in Albay, Ifugao and Negros Oriental. From seven focus group discussions and a farm household survey of 230 upland farmers, research results revealed that the study steps sites in Albay and Negros Oriental had moderate levels of sustainability of 0.26 and 0.49 respectively, while the study site in Ifugao had a low level of -0.46. The level of sustainability was determined using the community capitals framework, which puts emphasis on the seven capitals, namely: human, social, natural, physical, financial, cultural, and political capitals as determinants of a sustainable community. Specifically, human, social, and political capitals were found higher in Albay and Negros Oriental. Active collaboration between LGUs and the upland farming communities in the two study sites had resulted in the following: (1)continuous technical capability-building of upland farmers; (2)maintenanve and expansion of the model agroforestry farm sites; (3)continuous operation of the CFV farmers' association; and (4) institutionalization of local policies that were in line with conservation farming. Logistics regression revealed that informal policies and verbal agreements, formal policies and programs, and the Filipino practice of bayanihan help determine the sustainability of upland farming communities.