Livelihood in the rural parts of our country has always been a critical issue. Majority of Filipinos in the rural uplands rely on subsistence agriculture.
To help upland communities, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) funded the project, “Enhancing Livelihoods through Forest Landscape Restoration.”
The project aims to investigate how food security and livelihood can be enhanced through Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) in the Philippines. Between 500 to 1000 hectares of degraded land is expected to be reforested within the selected communities in Region 6, 7, and 8.
Likewise, the project associated with forest and landscape restoration is expected to make a major contribution to the economic development of upland communities.
This project is led by Dr. John Herbohn and Dr. Nestor Gregorio both from the University of Sunshine Coast - Australia, and Dr. Arturo Pasa from the Visayas State University. Through this project, improved approaches for implementing and scaling out reforestation in the Philippines can be designed, said Dr. Pasa. Better economic outcomes can also be achieved for smallholders through improved monitoring, best practices, and policy.
The project will run until December 2022 and will be closely monitored by DOST-PCAARRD.