Rethinking technology transfer in the agriculture sector : the case of the Philippines

The concept and practice of technology transfer in the agriculture sector in the Philippines need rethinking. The common notion of technology transfer in the agriculture sector is based on the traditional view of innovation in which technologies and techniques are assumed to flow essentially unchanged from one location to another in a linear fashion. The technology transfer approaches of interveners in the agriculture sector have been generally top-down. While these approaches have achieved some degree of success, they have not been sufficiently far-reaching to spur the growth of the rural economy. This thesis questions the linear and top-down orientation of technology transfer both as explanation and as prescription in the context of the agricultural research and extension system in the Philippines

Strategic Policy Response to Climate Change in the Philippines Vol. 1: Portfolio of Climate Change Policies in Agriculture

This publication features relevant information on climate change mitigation policies, particularly those pertinent to the Philippine agriculture sector. This would also be an important entry point for further policy research or deeper investigation of the translation of national climate change policies into ordinances and enabling mechanisms at the local level

Strategic Policy Response to Climate Change in the Philippines Vol. 2: Exploring How Climate Change Policies are Translated into Local Actions in the Agriculture Sector

This volume provides relevant information on the Philippine climate change policy response strategy in agriculture, with focus on local implementation of climate change policies. Specifically, it describes the local institutional setting for climate change policy implementation in agriculture, the dynamics by which climate change policies in agriculture are translated into meaningful actions and desired changes, and the bottlenecks to effective climate change policy implementation in agriculture at the local level. This volume highlights the exploratory case study on climate change policy implementation in agriculture conducted in Central Luzon, Philippines

Climate change vulnerability mapping of selected municipalities in Laguna, Philippines

Climate change is the most recent crisis of global impact, and can be most detrimental to developing countries. Southeast Asia, in particular, has been noted as one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change. The objectives of the study were to measure the vulnerability of communities to climate change and to produce maps of each community’s relative vulnerability with respect to the commune and the agricultural sector. Three vulnerability determinants—exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity— and their respective indicators were determined. Exposure refers to damage potential while sensitivity is determined by the interaction of environmental and social forces. Finally, adaptive capacity is shaped by various social, cultural, political and economic forces. The overall index of climate change vulnerability was calculated using a compromise among the three identified indices and ranked to identify the most vulnerable communes. Using GIS software, overall vulnerability maps were produced. Results showed that mostly lowland and coastal areas are greatly affected in all the vulnerability determinants. Agricultural areas are also more vulnerable, hence, livelihood of communities in agriculturally-dependent areas will be greatly affected by climate change. Exposure to climatic hazards had the least number of vulnerable sites, as Laguna is not hit by typhoons as often as other parts of the Philippines. However, the number of vulnerable sites increased due to high sensitivity and low adaptive capacity, both factors contributing to half of the study sites being vulnerable. This implies that should Laguna become frequently hit by typhoons in the future due to changes in climate, the area will be highly susceptible to damage since its capacity to adapt is too low

Agrobiodiversity, school gardens and healthy diets: Promoting biodiversity, food and sustainable nutrition

This series of books is published by Earthscan in association with Bioversity International.This book critically assesses the role of agrobiodiversity in school gardens and its contribution to diversifying diets, promoting healthy eating habits and improving nutrition among schoolchildren as well as other benefits relating to climate change adaptation, ecoliteracy and greening school spaces. Many schoolchildren suffer from various forms of malnutrition and it is important to address their nutritional status given the effects it has on their health, cognition, and subsequently their educational achievement. Schools are recognized as excellent platforms for promoting lifelong healthy eating and improving long-term, sustainable nutrition security required for optimum educational outcomes. This book reveals the multiple benefits of school gardens for improving nutrition and education for children and their families. It examines issues such as school feeding, community food production, school gardening, nutritional education and the promotion of agrobiodiversity, and draws on international case studies, from both developed and developing nations, to provide a comprehensive global assessment. This book will be essential reading for those interested in promoting agrobiodiversity, sustainable nutrition and healthy eating habits in schools and public institutions more generally. It identifies recurring and emerging issues, establishes best practices, identifies key criteria for success and advises on strategies for scaling up and scaling out elements to improve the uptake of school gardens