Fluctuating fortunes of a collective entreprise: The case of the Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in the Philippines

"The Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in Bukidnon province, southern Philippines was organized in 1998, facilitated by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Farmers were trained on germplasm collection, processing and marketing of agroforestry tree seeds and seedlings. ATSAL has been marketing various tree seeds and seedlings with apparent success, and has provided training on seed collection and nursery management to farmers, government technicians, and workers from non-government organizations (NGOs). This paper reports on the initial results of an on-going study to assess the effectiveness of ATSAL's marketing strategy, including group dynamics, and the issues and challenges the group faces. It was found that during the first two years, ATSAL's market share of greatly demanded timber tree species increased significantly, thus helping to disseminate widely these important species among farmers. ICRAF's technical back-up was an advantage, increasing the Association's market credibility. Subsequently, ATSAL extended its market to the central Philippines, but failed to meet the demand for seeds due to organizational limitations. Market competition exists, where a nonmember was able to take a larger market share than was the group. Nonetheless, ATSAL has established its name as a viable community-based seed and seedling producer, maintaining a stronghold in local and regional markets. Collective action is important for smallholders to break in, and gain market access, but is unlikely to sustain without effective leadership and some facilitation (in some cases even ongoing), thus requiring expenditures on repairs and maintenance through continuous technical and leadership training for the collective, and technical back-up and facilitation by an intermediary. Finally, facilitating smallholder collective action is essentially an arduous task, requiring the supporting agency to hold a firm grasp of market realities, to invest in the maintenance of collective action, to provide continuous technical back-up, and to ascertain the conditions that make collective action succeed." authors' abstractCollective action, Niche marketing, Agroforestry seeds, Community-based entreprise,

Landcare in Bukidnon

This report is one of four presenting the results of an evaluation study of the Landcare Program in the Southern Philippines. The study was funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through the project "Enhancing Farmer Adoption of Simple Conservation Practices: Landcare in the Philippines and Australia" (ASEM/1998/052)

Adoption of Agroforestry in Northwest Viet Nam: What Roles Do Social and Cultural Norms Play?

This article presents research about the influences of social and cultural norms on the adoption of agroforestry in the northwest mountainous region of Viet Nam. The farming systems practiced by various ethnic groups in the northwest mainly occur on sloping land, which extends over 70% of the land area in the region. Decades of intensive monoculture of annual crops has resulted in severe soil erosion, contributing to soil degradation and decline in crop yields. Integrating agroforestry practices on sloping land has the potential to halt and reverse soil degradation and improve local livelihoods, but its adoption is conditioned by the diverse social and cultural norms of different ethnic groups. This research applies knowledge-based system methods in order to understand local opportunities, preferences, and constraints influencing the adoption of agroforestry practices, using a purposive, gender-balanced sample of sixty farmers from six villages across three provinces in the northwest region comprising people from Kinh, Thai and H’mong ethnic groups. Our results show that although farmers from all groups are aware of the economic and ecological benefits of trees for soil conservation in general, they have different perceptions about the benefits of particular agroforestry practices. Behavioural norms controlling agroforestry adoption vary amongst ethnic groups, and farmers’ individual social and cultural preferences influence their aspirations and adoption decisions. We conclude that developing appropriate agricultural interventions in a culturally rich environment such as northwest Viet Nam requires understanding of the context-specific needs and interests of socially and culturally disaggregated populations. Policies supporting agroforestry are more likely to contribute to more sustainable livelihoods and ecological benefits where they are tailored to the requirements of different ethnic groups

Policy and institutional context for NRM in Kenya: Challenges and opportunities for Landcare

Kenya’s natural resource base has dwindled over the years. The existence of many land-related laws, some of which are incompatible, has resulted in complex land management regimes, giving rise to fragmented interventions, poor land administration, and inadequate provision of agricultural services. The consequences are serious environmental problems aggravated by social, economic and political factors. Traditionally, land use practices were more sustainable, but many of these Landcare practices were discarded with the advent of colonialism. Today, significant progress is evident in rule-making, paving the way for adoption of more integrative approaches to natural resources management (NRM), including the more sustainable Landcare. Landcare is a widely-adopted community-based approach to NRM, that started in Australia in mid 1980s. The adoption of Landcare in Kenya, however, requires understanding of the policy and institutional contexts for which it can be applied. This paper attempts to identify regime structures and policy instruments for anchoring the Landcare approach in Kenya. It informs a larger regional effort for the transformation of NRM through a Landcare framework. This review paper concludes that: 1) the existing policy context is neither inhibitive for Landcare nor does it require new policies; 2) Due to the existing complex institutional architecture, the introduction Landcare approaches in Kenya should be pragmatic and nuanced; 3) Landcare adoption will not only lead to achievement of national goals, but international obligations as well; 4) The relevance and longevity of Landcare is dependent on appropriate modes of integration; and 5) a coalition approach appears to have the potential mode for integrating Landcare in Kenya

Boundary Work for Sustainable Development: Natural Resource Management at the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)

Previous research on the determinants of effectiveness in knowledge systems seeking to support sustainable development has highlighted the importance of “boundary work” through which research communities organize their relations with new science, other sources of knowledge, and the worlds of action and policymaking. A growing body of scholarship postulates specific attributes of boundary work that promote used and useful research. These propositions, however, are largely based on the experience of a few industrialized countries. We report here on an effort to evaluate their relevance for efforts to harness science in support of sustainability in the developing world. We carried out a multicountry comparative analysis of natural resource management programs conducted under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. We discovered six distinctive kinds of boundary work contributing to the successes of those programs—a greater variety than has been documented in previous studies. We argue that these different kinds of boundary work can be understood as a dual response to the different uses for which the results of specific research programs are intended, and the different sources of knowledge drawn on by those programs. We show that these distinctive kinds of boundary work require distinctive strategies to organize them effectively. Especially important are arrangements regarding participation of stakeholders, accountability in governance, and the use of “boundary objects.” We conclude that improving the ability of research programs to produce useful knowledge for sustainable development will require both greater and differentiated support for multiple forms of boundary work

Toward a General Theory of Boundary Work: Insights from the CGIAR’s Natural Resource Management Programs

Previous research on the determinants of effectiveness in knowledge systems seeking to support sustainable development has highlighted the importance of “boundary work” through which research communities organize their relations with other fields of science, other sources of knowledge, and the worlds of action and policymaking. A growing body of scholarship postulates specific attributes of boundary work that promote used and useful research. These propositions, however, are largely based on the experience of a few industrialized countries. We report here on an effort to evaluate their relevance for efforts to harness science in support of sustainability in the developing world. We carried out a multi-country comparative analysis of natural resource management programs conducted under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). We discovered 6 distinctive kinds of boundary work contributing to successes of the CGIAR programs—a greater variety than has been documented in previous studies. We propose that these different kinds of boundary work can be understood as a dual response to the different uses for which the results of specific research programs are intended, and the different sources of knowledge drawn on by those programs. We show that these distinctive kinds of boundary work require distinctive strategies to organize them effectively. Especially important are arrangements regarding participation of stakeholders, governance, and the use of boundary objects. We conclude that improving the ability of research programs to produce useful knowledge for sustainable development will require both greater and differentiated support for multiple forms of boundary work

A review of the Enabling Environment for Transformative Land Investment in Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique

Sub-Saharan African development strategies emphasize optimizing agricultural and forestry resources through foreign and domestic investments in large-scale farms and plantations. While these land-based initiatives are believed to enhance economic development, concerns arise regarding their impact on marginalized groups and the environment. Issues like land tenure security and the agri-food sector's investment climate play pivotal roles, highlighting the need for transparent and inclusive decision-making involving local communities. Goal and Objectives This study reviews the legal and policy frameworks to analyze the enabling environment for sustainable and inclusive land-based investment in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Mozambique Methodology This research comprised two phases of literature reviews. The first phase evaluated existing legal frameworks and incentive mechanisms for inclusive and green investment in each country. The second phase focused on peer-reviewed studies investigating the practices of land-based agricultural investments and the effects on tenure, food security, environment, and social well-being. The findings were systematically analyzed, and the country-level results were presented at national Multi-Stakeholders Platform (MSP) workshops for validation and in-depth analysis by a diverse participant group. Results Various legal and policy frameworks exist concerning land, resources, and property rights, alongside incentive mechanisms to attract investors. However, the research reveals that there are contradictions between the way investment is conceived and promoted and the common Constitutional recognition of land as communal property. Customary laws positively influence land and resource management but may restrict women's land rights with varying applications by region. Inconsistent implementation of investment incentives, particularly in the inefficient and non-transparent land acquisition process, is noted. The findings suggest policy recommendations for multi-stakeholder platforms and communities of practice to drive transformative changes in land-based investments. Implications Enabling conditions for transformative land investment encompass legally and socially legitimate tenure systems, a robust land use plan and monitoring system, promotion of inclusivity among women, youth, and indigenous communities in land governance, improved government agency coordination for better land policy implementation, heightened awareness of environmental consequences, and facilitation of green and inclusive investment through fiscal incentives

The case of the Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in the Philippines

The Agroforestry Tree Seeds Association of Lantapan (ATSAL) in Bukidnon province, southern Philippines was organized in 1998, facilitated by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Farmers were trained on germplasm collection, processing and marketing of agroforestry tree seeds and seedlings. ATSAL has been marketing various tree seeds and seedlings with apparent success, and has provided training on seed collection and nursery management to farmers, government technicians, and workers from non-government organizations (NGOs). This paper reports on the initial results of an on-going study to assess the effectiveness of ATSAL's marketing strategy, including group dynamics, and the issues and challenges the group faces. It was found that during the first two years, ATSAL's market share of greatly demanded timber tree species increased significantly, thus helping to disseminate widely these important species among farmers. ICRAF's technical back-up was an advantage, increasing the Association's market credibility. Subsequently, ATSAL extended its market to the central Philippines, but failed to meet the demand for seeds due to organizational limitations. Market competition exists, where a nonmember was able to take a larger market share than was the group. Nonetheless, ATSAL has established its name as a viable community-based seed and seedling producer, maintaining a stronghold in local and regional markets. Collective action is important for smallholders to break in, and gain market access, but is unlikely to sustain without effective leadership and some facilitation (in some cases even ongoing), thus requiring expenditures on repairs and maintenance through continuous technical and leadership training for the collective, and technical back-up and facilitation by an intermediary. Finally, facilitating smallholder collective action is essentially an arduous task, requiring the supporting agency to hold a firm grasp of market realities, to invest in the maintenance of collective action, to provide continuous technical back-up, and to ascertain the conditions that make collective action succeed.Non-PRIFPRI1; Theme 3; CAPRiEPT