Leyte declaration on agroforestry

By Rowena M. Baltazar
MediaCore, PCARRD

The first national Agroforestry congress' declaration on agroforestry got the support and endorsement of the Department of Science and Technology's Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development.

The declaration on agroforestry calls for joint efforts of concerned agencies and organizations toward institutionalizing the science and practice of agroforestry in the country.  The declaration was endorsed to DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro early this year.

Topping the list in the declaration is a resolution on advocacy that should be pursued for policy initiatives to include, among others, the creation of “Board of Agroforestry”, agroforestation, position classification, and accreditation of sustainable agroforestry practices.

Meanwhile, a resolution on research and development specifies that R&D networks on agroforestry, soil and water resources, forestry, and related efforts should be harmonized to strengthen synergy.

In response to the resolutions, courses of action were stipulated in the congress declaration.   One of these was the call for the executive, legislative, judiciary down to the local government units to institute national policies, legislations, regulations, economic measures, and development programs to be implemented along with complementary micro-level systems.

A suggested course of action for the improvement or upgrading of the Bachelor of Science in Agroforestry was tasked to the Commission on Higher Education.  The declaration urges the institutionalization of a committee or taskforce on agroforestry education as a standing committee under the Technical Panel for Agriculture Education.  It will be responsible for developing policies, program monitoring, and safeguarding the quality of agroforestry education, among other things.

The declaration also said R&D institutions should continuously work and search for viable, appropriate, and sustainable agroforestry technologies, disseminate research results to all stakeholders, and develop synergy within and among themselves in pursuing common objectives.

The declaration was a major result of the First National Agroforestry Congress held at the Leyte State University in Baybay, Leyte late last year.  Sponsors and facilitators of the congress were the Philippine Agroforestry Education and Research Network, University of the Philippines Los Baños' College of Forestry and Natural Resources-Institute of AgroForestry and the host university.