[Final Report] Coffee Agroforestry and Reforestation Enhancement towards Resilient Community
(System for Land Conservation: Promotion of Sustainable Coffee-based Agroforestry in Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet – Phase II)
Duration of the Project: July 2021 - June 2022
Project Site: Tuba, Benguet Province, Philippines
Partner Organization:Manalabo (Japan)
Grant: Green Fund, Japan
Person in Charge : Mhyra P. Seset
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Small-scale farmers need to be educated and environmentally friendly, so they can easily be driven to make a resilient community. A participatory approach must be conducted between environmental agencies and groups of scale farmers so that they have the same ground in equally resolving economic, social, and environmental issues. By providing more information and technical support in coffee-based agroforestry farming, farmers will eventually understand that sustainable development can be attained by not sacrificing or over-depleting natural resources. Somewhat resources will be enriched and enjoyed by the community today until the future.
Accomplishments:
1. Agroforestry Establishment
8,000 Coffee seedlings were delivered from Kapi Tako Nursery, Coroz, Tublay, to Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet, on December 28, 2021, and January 8, 2022, and distributed to the communities of Camp 1 and Camp 3. Fifteen individuals availed the seedlings and established their own coffee-based agroforestry farm. There are eight newly established coffee plantations, and others are extended farms. With the help of their families and the "Alluyon" system, coffee planting was accomplished. Most coffee plantations are under Alnus trees and indigenous trees.
With the rising coffee business industry in the world, farmers were also motivated to plant coffee trees purposely for additional income. Especially in the areas of Camp 3 and Camp 1, wherein they're also affected by the low-income profits in gardens due to the inconsistent price of vegetables and infestations of crops disease, farmers tend to alter some crops from mono-cropping (lemon) to agroforestry (coffee and banana). It is good indeed to have a diverse forest and crops in one area to maintain continuous good yields. Crops are protected from disease and typhoons and also sustain soil productivity.
2. Enhancement of tree planting in communal forests and water resource
The community tree planting in the communal forest of Bastian, Camp 1, Tuba, Benguet was started on July 19, 2022, as a celebration of Arbor Day it was spearheaded by the barangay officials of Barangay Camp 1 and the CGN team. Planted seedlings are 1,250 Tuai seedlings, 2,000 Alnus, 2,500 Calliandra seedlings, and 400 Chinese bamboo propagules. Calliandra seedlings were procured in MOSFAI Nursery, Camp 3, Tuba while Alnus seedlings were purchased in the private nursery of Mr. Pablito in CFBSU, La Trinidad, and Tuai seedlings were produced by the Roadside Nursery in Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya. The area was planted entirely for a week (July 19 – 25) by the joint force of the supportive locals from the 7 sitios of Brgy. Camp 1, the cooperative group of scholars of Philex Mine Corporation, and the MOSFAI members from Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet.
During the bamboo planting, locals bring back their memories of the year 2009 when Sitio Dilan, Ligay collapsed due to the strong typhoon brought by Ondoy and Pepeng, causing the community to be dispersed because the whole area was unsafe and unstable. Neighboring community, including Tinmagong and the communal forest of Bastian was affected.
The area proposed for the nursery establishment was used for the Cooperative to store agriculture facilities, and the other area offered for the nursery is not feasible (the location is not easily accessible by the community, lacks water supply, and they are near pasture land).
Thus, CGN initiated seedling production in the Kapi Tako Nursery, as MOAPA members continuously enhanced their skills in producing quality seedlings for the needed community. Nursery materials were purchased and delivered on June 23, 2022, at Coroz, Ambassador, Tublay. Seed sowing and transplanting were done in May 2022 and July 2022.
4. Seminars on Coffee Post-Harvest Processing and Workshop on Coffee Cupping
Strict implementation of health protocols in 2021 caused delays and limited seminars to be conducted in the community. CGN and beneficiaries chose the topics of the workshops. One is Coffee Post-Harvest Processing for aspiring coffee growers to continue acquiring enough knowledge and skills to produce quality coffee. As the CGN team went to deliver pulper and drying materials donated by SPIN Project for the coffee farmers in Bastian, Camp 1, Tuba on December 18, 2021, and February 18, 2022, Ms. Lily Jamias did the advance demonstration on coffee processing like the de-pulping using the de-pulper, flotation. Also, she taught beneficiaries the other kind of coffee fermentation suitable to them to bring out the good taste of their coffee. And she pointed out the right place to dry the parchment with the aid of the drying facilities, such as drying trays and a small drying house.
On July 02, 2022, another seminar was conducted at El Durado Multipurpose Hall, Ligay, Camp 1, Tuba, attended by 23 interested coffee farmers from Camp 3 and Camp 1. Ms. Lily Jamias, a forester and Q-Grader licensed, stressed that making a good cup of coffee is in the hands of the coffee farmers. Thus she reviewed the topics from the Nursery Establishment to Coffee Plantation and Management. She continued to discuss the proper and best ways to process coffee, from harvesting to cup testing. Ms. Jamias literates on the importance of processing and drying well, also sorting the storing of coffee as they affect the coffee's physical appearance and taste. Participants were taught to sort coffee and experienced to do coffee cupping. This training will develop the knowledge and skills of the farmers in producing quality coffee. They must know all these processes to improve and have marketable products. Enough knowledge, skills, and a sustainable farm will create a sustainable livelihood for the community.
Participants are a beginner in learning coffee processing, and some processes and techniques are new. They discovered that all processes must be done well because it has a great effect on marketing the coffee. They all thought that it was laborious but understood when they did the cup testing. The seminar and pieces of training conducted had brought clarifications and additional information from the basic knowledge and misconceptions about the coffee they had before.
5. Monitoring and Maintenance
MOSFAI Chairman conducted the first monitoring of the plantations on the 3rd week of September ensuring that seedlings were planted in suitable areas. Planted seedlings were in the stage of adapting to their new environment, and the development of new shoots was seen. Second monitoring will be done three months after the planting for immediate maintenance like weeding and fertilization. As for care, CGN purchased 75 sacks of Siglat fertilizers and 1 unit of grass cutter for the farmers to establish their plantation. The fertilizers were distributed to the 15 beneficiaries to ensure that the seedlings planted had enough nutrients for their growth development. At the same time, the grass cutter was handed to the Barangay thru Hon. Dinangwatan for the coffee growers of Camp 1 to use in cleaning their coffee plantations. It can be shared and used during clearing operations in the community due to natural calamities.
The CGN staff also monitored the monitoring of coffee plantations of 2020-2021 on February 04, 2022, March 12, 2022, and June 02, 2022. Most coffee plantations are shaded with Alnus trees, Mala-tibig, Hauili, and indigenous trees. Some coffee trees were integrated into the Lemon and Sayote plantation. Almost coffee plants are growing robustly as they correspond well to their environment, and some are already flowering. It was observed that the growth of coffee is better under the shade Alnus trees and mixed stand forest trees as compared to the coffee integrated with lemon and plantations having cogon grass. It is because the shade is not enough and the soil is more acidic, and growth development was affected by the fertilizers being cultivated and sprayed on the lemon. Farmers were advised to do weeding and to thin to avoid suppression of the coffee or over-shading and to fertilize the coffee, which is stunted.
Project Site: Tuba, Benguet Province, Philippines
Partner Organization:Manalabo (Japan)
Grant: Green Fund, Japan
Person in Charge : Mhyra P. Seset
-----
Cordillera Green Network, Inc. promoted Coffee-based Agroforestry in the selected sitios of Camp 1 and Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet Province. It aims to help sustain the forest cover, conserve watershed reservoirs, uplift economic growth, and enhance farmers' coffee cultivation skills. Sustainable coffee-based agroforestry has promising potential in attaining sustainable development for a community. Conversion of forest to agricultural land will be minimized, biodiversity complexities will be enhanced, and improves hydrology functions; will increase agricultural and forest production will, honor the environmental and social customary laws, reduce disaster risks, and creates green economy opportunities for the community. With these benefits that coffee-based agroforestry will provide, a community will be resilient and could meet the demands of the people.
Small-scale farmers need to be educated and environmentally friendly, so they can easily be driven to make a resilient community. A participatory approach must be conducted between environmental agencies and groups of scale farmers so that they have the same ground in equally resolving economic, social, and environmental issues. By providing more information and technical support in coffee-based agroforestry farming, farmers will eventually understand that sustainable development can be attained by not sacrificing or over-depleting natural resources. Somewhat resources will be enriched and enjoyed by the community today until the future.
This project was launched on July 2021, but activities were carried out from December 2021 to September 2022. Due to the surge of COVID-19 variants, movement to the community was limited. With the support of the project recipients in Camp 1 and Camp 3, Tuba, and the initiative of Cordillera Green Network – Manalabo implementing NGO and the funding agency Green Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization Japan, the project was accomplished.
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Accomplishments:
1. Agroforestry Establishment
8,000 Coffee seedlings were delivered from Kapi Tako Nursery, Coroz, Tublay, to Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet, on December 28, 2021, and January 8, 2022, and distributed to the communities of Camp 1 and Camp 3. Fifteen individuals availed the seedlings and established their own coffee-based agroforestry farm. There are eight newly established coffee plantations, and others are extended farms. With the help of their families and the "Alluyon" system, coffee planting was accomplished. Most coffee plantations are under Alnus trees and indigenous trees.
With the rising coffee business industry in the world, farmers were also motivated to plant coffee trees purposely for additional income. Especially in the areas of Camp 3 and Camp 1, wherein they're also affected by the low-income profits in gardens due to the inconsistent price of vegetables and infestations of crops disease, farmers tend to alter some crops from mono-cropping (lemon) to agroforestry (coffee and banana). It is good indeed to have a diverse forest and crops in one area to maintain continuous good yields. Crops are protected from disease and typhoons and also sustain soil productivity.
2. Enhancement of tree planting in communal forests and water resource
The community tree planting in the communal forest of Bastian, Camp 1, Tuba, Benguet was started on July 19, 2022, as a celebration of Arbor Day it was spearheaded by the barangay officials of Barangay Camp 1 and the CGN team. Planted seedlings are 1,250 Tuai seedlings, 2,000 Alnus, 2,500 Calliandra seedlings, and 400 Chinese bamboo propagules. Calliandra seedlings were procured in MOSFAI Nursery, Camp 3, Tuba while Alnus seedlings were purchased in the private nursery of Mr. Pablito in CFBSU, La Trinidad, and Tuai seedlings were produced by the Roadside Nursery in Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya. The area was planted entirely for a week (July 19 – 25) by the joint force of the supportive locals from the 7 sitios of Brgy. Camp 1, the cooperative group of scholars of Philex Mine Corporation, and the MOSFAI members from Camp 3, Tuba, Benguet.
During the bamboo planting, locals bring back their memories of the year 2009 when Sitio Dilan, Ligay collapsed due to the strong typhoon brought by Ondoy and Pepeng, causing the community to be dispersed because the whole area was unsafe and unstable. Neighboring community, including Tinmagong and the communal forest of Bastian was affected.
With the initiative of the coffee growers in Bastian, MOSFAI members, and CGN to establish protective measures, Community tree planting was piloted near the denuded area where Chinese Bamboo were planted as a protective measure and could help in rehabilitating the denuded area with the Calliandra as to help in covering and nitrification of the soil. In comparison, Alnus and Tuai seedlings are for the enrichment production of forest species in the watershed of Bastian. Planting more species in the area will help to mitigate the continuous surface run-off and soil nitrification and improve biodiversity.
3. Nursery Establishment
Coffee seedling nursery establishment is the activity that both communities of Camp 1 and Camp 3 need to be improved and worked diligently. MOSFAI members did the coffee and forest tree seedling nursery production in Camp 3, Tuba, last May 2021. The area is physically suitable for raising coffee seedlings, and CGN did seminars and demos on nursery establishment in May and July 2021. But then, MOSFAI members couldn't able to produce quality seedlings for coffee. It was observed that seedlings have high mortality due to inadequate irrigation and lack of maintenance. The MOSFAI Chairman admitted that their supervision in the nursery was neglected when the COVID-19 Delta variants (month of Aug – October) struck the community of Camp 3, and people were locked up from their houses and only concentrated in their farms. When the safety protocols loosened, they tried to maintain what was left but not enough for the whole community. Producing quality seedlings requires time and effort. Members need to secure suitable areas, time for maintenance, and knowledge. From their first experience and encouragement of CGN staff, the MOSFAI will do the seedling production with their resources again to continue and utilize the materials that the project provided well.
Coffee seedling nursery establishment is the activity that both communities of Camp 1 and Camp 3 need to be improved and worked diligently. MOSFAI members did the coffee and forest tree seedling nursery production in Camp 3, Tuba, last May 2021. The area is physically suitable for raising coffee seedlings, and CGN did seminars and demos on nursery establishment in May and July 2021. But then, MOSFAI members couldn't able to produce quality seedlings for coffee. It was observed that seedlings have high mortality due to inadequate irrigation and lack of maintenance. The MOSFAI Chairman admitted that their supervision in the nursery was neglected when the COVID-19 Delta variants (month of Aug – October) struck the community of Camp 3, and people were locked up from their houses and only concentrated in their farms. When the safety protocols loosened, they tried to maintain what was left but not enough for the whole community. Producing quality seedlings requires time and effort. Members need to secure suitable areas, time for maintenance, and knowledge. From their first experience and encouragement of CGN staff, the MOSFAI will do the seedling production with their resources again to continue and utilize the materials that the project provided well.
The area proposed for the nursery establishment was used for the Cooperative to store agriculture facilities, and the other area offered for the nursery is not feasible (the location is not easily accessible by the community, lacks water supply, and they are near pasture land).
Thus, CGN initiated seedling production in the Kapi Tako Nursery, as MOAPA members continuously enhanced their skills in producing quality seedlings for the needed community. Nursery materials were purchased and delivered on June 23, 2022, at Coroz, Ambassador, Tublay. Seed sowing and transplanting were done in May 2022 and July 2022.
4. Seminars on Coffee Post-Harvest Processing and Workshop on Coffee Cupping
Strict implementation of health protocols in 2021 caused delays and limited seminars to be conducted in the community. CGN and beneficiaries chose the topics of the workshops. One is Coffee Post-Harvest Processing for aspiring coffee growers to continue acquiring enough knowledge and skills to produce quality coffee. As the CGN team went to deliver pulper and drying materials donated by SPIN Project for the coffee farmers in Bastian, Camp 1, Tuba on December 18, 2021, and February 18, 2022, Ms. Lily Jamias did the advance demonstration on coffee processing like the de-pulping using the de-pulper, flotation. Also, she taught beneficiaries the other kind of coffee fermentation suitable to them to bring out the good taste of their coffee. And she pointed out the right place to dry the parchment with the aid of the drying facilities, such as drying trays and a small drying house.
On July 02, 2022, another seminar was conducted at El Durado Multipurpose Hall, Ligay, Camp 1, Tuba, attended by 23 interested coffee farmers from Camp 3 and Camp 1. Ms. Lily Jamias, a forester and Q-Grader licensed, stressed that making a good cup of coffee is in the hands of the coffee farmers. Thus she reviewed the topics from the Nursery Establishment to Coffee Plantation and Management. She continued to discuss the proper and best ways to process coffee, from harvesting to cup testing. Ms. Jamias literates on the importance of processing and drying well, also sorting the storing of coffee as they affect the coffee's physical appearance and taste. Participants were taught to sort coffee and experienced to do coffee cupping. This training will develop the knowledge and skills of the farmers in producing quality coffee. They must know all these processes to improve and have marketable products. Enough knowledge, skills, and a sustainable farm will create a sustainable livelihood for the community.
Participants are a beginner in learning coffee processing, and some processes and techniques are new. They discovered that all processes must be done well because it has a great effect on marketing the coffee. They all thought that it was laborious but understood when they did the cup testing. The seminar and pieces of training conducted had brought clarifications and additional information from the basic knowledge and misconceptions about the coffee they had before.
MOSFAI Chairman conducted the first monitoring of the plantations on the 3rd week of September ensuring that seedlings were planted in suitable areas. Planted seedlings were in the stage of adapting to their new environment, and the development of new shoots was seen. Second monitoring will be done three months after the planting for immediate maintenance like weeding and fertilization. As for care, CGN purchased 75 sacks of Siglat fertilizers and 1 unit of grass cutter for the farmers to establish their plantation. The fertilizers were distributed to the 15 beneficiaries to ensure that the seedlings planted had enough nutrients for their growth development. At the same time, the grass cutter was handed to the Barangay thru Hon. Dinangwatan for the coffee growers of Camp 1 to use in cleaning their coffee plantations. It can be shared and used during clearing operations in the community due to natural calamities.
The CGN staff also monitored the monitoring of coffee plantations of 2020-2021 on February 04, 2022, March 12, 2022, and June 02, 2022. Most coffee plantations are shaded with Alnus trees, Mala-tibig, Hauili, and indigenous trees. Some coffee trees were integrated into the Lemon and Sayote plantation. Almost coffee plants are growing robustly as they correspond well to their environment, and some are already flowering. It was observed that the growth of coffee is better under the shade Alnus trees and mixed stand forest trees as compared to the coffee integrated with lemon and plantations having cogon grass. It is because the shade is not enough and the soil is more acidic, and growth development was affected by the fertilizers being cultivated and sprayed on the lemon. Farmers were advised to do weeding and to thin to avoid suppression of the coffee or over-shading and to fertilize the coffee, which is stunted.
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