The UPLB project on “The Integration of Traditional and Modern Bioproduction System for a Sustainable and Resilient Future Under Climate and Ecosystem Changes (ITMoB)” is conducting a study to determine the sustainability and economic viability of various bioproduction systems (BPS) and evaluate the considerations behind farmers’ decisions to adopt a particular BPS.
BPS are agriculture and forestry production systems that provide different ecosystem services to support human well-being. It is categorized into traditional, modern, or integrated BPS.
ITMoB conducted a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) through focus group discussion (FGD) and benefit-cost analysis (BCA) through key informant interviews (KII), respectively, of farmers in the Pagsanjan-Lumban Watershed (PLW) last June 2024. These activities were held in the Municipal Hall of Luisiana on June 14, 2024.
By weighing costs and benefits, farmers can make more informed decisions that maximize resource utilization, increase productivity, and advance agricultural welfare in the watershed.
ITMoB invited selected LGU representatives from the Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO), Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), and Municipal Planning and Development Office (MPDO), as well as eight farmers representing the predominant BPS, including monocrop rice, rice-based, coconut-based, and fruit-based BPS in Luisiana.
In undertaking the MCA, participants were organized into breakout groups that then ranked the criteria and indicators related to financial, economic, environmental, and ecosystem services, and social aspects of the BPS. Afterward, they regrouped and reached a collective consensus on the ranking.
To undertake the BCA, only farmers were invited to take part in the KII. This session used a structured survey tailored to the study site to collect detailed data regarding farm inputs and outputs, a crucial step in discerning the cost and benefits of each BPS.
MCA and BCA are implemented to assess changes in ecosystem services produced by modern and traditional BPS under multiple scenarios and identify potential synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services.
Dr. Canesio Predo, one of ITMoB’s work package leaders, spearheaded the conduct of the MCA and BCA together with Kharmina Paola Anit-Evangelista, Vanessa Palma-Torres, and project researchers. Anit-Evangelista and Palma-Torres are assistant professors at the Institute of Renewable Natural Resources (IRNR) of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources and scholars of the Graduate Assistantships for Technology of the Department of Science and Technology.
The Municipal Agriculture Office of Luisiana, headed by Engr. Christine Mae Roguel, provided support and assistance, contributing to the event’s success.
The MCA and BCA data-gathering activities will also be implemented across the other municipalities covering PLW, including Cavinti, Pagsanjan, Kalayaan, Lumban, Majayjay, Magdalena, and Lucban, in the succeeding weeks.
The ITMoB Project is in its third and final year of implementation and is scheduled for completion by October 2024. It is a collaborative research endeavor involving the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in Japan, the University of Padjadjaran in Indonesia, and UPLB-INREM in the Philippines.
The DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development is funding its implementation in the Philippines. (Pia Montoya, Angelica Magpantay, Laizha Lynn Lomente-Gacutan)