MT. MAKILING - AGROFORESTRY

Just after Jamboree site is an Agroforest protected area of Mt. Makiling which is under the supervision of University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).  According to caretaker, the area is often used as field laboratory and experimental site for various thesis projects.       Walking in Mt. Making Agroforest had made me compare it in conventional agricultural systems. As observation, biodiversity is much higher at least several plant species were enumerated that creates a more complex habitat that can support a wider variety of birds, insects and other animals that includes human.

Following trail further, we able to collect fruits and vegetables – there were coffee beans sun dried ready for roasting, peppercorn, sili pari, sili labuyo, malunggay, papaya (both ripe and unripe), and cacao that I had enjoyed; later that night from our harvested materials, we able to cook “Tinolang Manok” that served as dinner.

In social dimension of Sustainable Development class I had, according to UNDP, one in every five persons in this world, including a significant majority of women and girls, is living below the poverty line – income of less than $1 per day, and one of every two lives on less than $2 per day. The most obvious aspect of poverty is physical such as hunger. Poverty, as defined by UNDP, takes in consideration the lack of essential human capabilities, notably literacy and nutrition; for the poor, there is limited funds be devoted to buying more food.

Agroforestry can be advantageous in terms of productivity, biodiversity, economic benefits, social outcomes and ecological goods and services provided: (1) Reducing poverty through increased production of agroforestry products for home consumption and sale; (2) Contributing to food security by restoring farm soil fertility for food crops and production of fruits, nuts and edible oils; (3) Reducing deforestation and pressure on woodlands by providing fuel wood grown on farms; (4) Improving nutrition to lessen the impacts of hunger and chronic illness; and (5) Augmenting accessibility to medicinal trees as main source of medication.

The first of the eight MDGs is to reduce by half the proportion of people earning less than $1 per day by 2015 and by half the proportion of people suffering from hunger, also by 2015. To achieve this first goal, countries and communities must set their policy environment, institutions, and programs focus along the lines under economic growth, population planning, and better distribution income. Agroforestry and enhancing accessibility to modern agricultural inputs is one way of reducing poverty as what Mt. Makiling Agroforest had literally shown me.