Socio-economic and environmental impacts of the conservation farming village project in upland communities of la libertad , negros oriental , philippines

Upland agriculture is a major cause of soil erosion in the Philippines. The clearing of forests for agricultural production and improper farming practices combine together to make the uplands highly susceptible to degradation. While a number of soil conservation interventions for upland agriculture have been identified, adoption by farmers has been marginal. The Conservation Farming Village (CFV) approach is a modality that aims to improve the adoption of soil conservation technologies. This approach was implemented in selected barangays (villages) in La Libertad, Negros Oriental, Philippines from October 2008 to December 2011. This paper analyzed the socio-economic and environmental impacts of CFV on upland farms. Specifically, it estimated changes in soil loss, organic matter and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content, and farm income. The CFV project has been effective in transforming the traditional monocropping system into a diversified cropping system. While soil erosion was still noted, the rate of soil loss and the total amount of nutrient loss decreased through time. The conservation farming (CF) technologies adopted by farmers were effective in reducing soil erosion. Moreover, the farmers’ net returns generally increased after CF adoption due to the increased returns from crop diversification. The CFV project resulted in positive social impact. It improved the farmers’ level of living, self-confidence leading to better leadership capability and decision-making as well as increased their social network.