justified and described 5 farm clusters with 30 farm owner / operators, covering 40 ha in 2 Sitios of Tungkalan. A subset of approximately 15 ha and 30 farmer operators was identified that would be ideal for the implementation of an Small Farmer-based Economic / Agro-Forestry Project.

Because of the excellent initial results achieved by the team the Davao Environmental Management Board approved the development of the Economic and Agro Forestry Intervention.

Phase I of this project was on “identification of pilot areas and tree species”. Phase II focused on the re-introduction of high value forest trees on vacant areas along with fruit trees and other agricultural crops in A & D lands. It had profiled 5 farm clusters with 30 farm owner/operators covering 40 ha in 2 sitios of Tungkalan of which 84% of the prioritized farm areas have been planted. Supporting the project’s outplanting activities are 5 nurseries with various kinds of endemic forest tree and fruit tree seedlings. The total number of planting materials produced by the nurseries was 33,364 and; present stock is 15,641 seedlings. The integration of forest trees in A & D lands increased the forest cover, improved and conserved the soil, and biodiversity in the watershed. It also provided small farmers an opportunity for long-term economic security.

Significance of the Project

Small farmers income and survival depends upon a short-term strategy of planting cash crops on small areas of frequently less than 2 ha. in size. The majority of agriculture takes place on generally HILLY LANDS classed as Alienable and Disposable (A&D). There is little opportunity or incentive to protect and conserve the remaining biodiversity and productive soils in these areas.

Common Agro-forestry practices including Sloping Agricultural Land technology “SALT” may be beneficial, however broad acceptance of these practices is limited by the need for immediate returns and absentee land ownership that is a disincentive to agro-forestry, soil and biodiversity conservation.

The Small Farmer Economic Forestry Project encourages and fosters agro-forestry and the conservation of soil and biodiversity in A&D class lands and increase long-term economic security of small farmers in the Target Watersheds. This is achieved by providing an opportunity for the small farmer to add HIGH VALUE TREE CROP to be grown in areas around the farm that are not suitable for agriculture. The selection of these tree crops must seek to achieve a balanced improvement in biodiversity as well as long and short-term economic output.