The Influence of Land and Tree Tenure on Participation of Smallholder and Community Forestry in the Philippines

Key impediments to forestry development have been identified as part of a research program on smallholder and community forestry currently being conducted on Leyte Island, the Philippines, funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). A number of studies conducted as part of that research program have identified land and tree tenure issues as being a key impediment to the expansions of smallholder and community forestry. This paper examines the impacts of uncertainty of land and tree tenure on woodlot establishment, based on the results of three separate studies. A study of household needs and attitudes in relation to forestry development identified a number of policy issues associated with land and tree tenure as needing to be addressed. A second study investigated why microfinancing of woodlots was not an option for many smallholders. That study revealed that landholders are unwilling to commit resources to forestry because they do not have land titling and hence regard their land tenure as insecure. Similarly, banks appear unwilling to lend to smallholders for investment in forestry, being influenced by lack of collateral associated with insecure land tenure. A third study of tree nursery practices revealed that land ownership appears to play an important role in the sustainability of nurseries that are raising seedlings for sale. In addition, nursery owners with secure land tenure were more likely to attend training sessions