Negros Island, Philippines

Improving sustainability and local livelihoods through agroforestry practices.

About Negros Island

We established the Alter Trade project in 2013 on Negros Island in the Philippines to support small-scale sugarcane and banana farmers in their fight against climate change.

Overview

Timber logging and agricultural land expansion have led to severe deforestation in the hilly region of Negros Island, which exacerbates environmental challenges like rising temperatures, droughts, heavy rainfall, and hurricanes.

To improve sustainability and local livelihoods, we partnered with Alter Trade Corporation, a local Fairtrade-certified sugarcane cooperative, to implement agroforestry practices within sugarcane systems. The project addresses land fertility issues, low yields, heavy use of fertilizers, land erosion, water availability, and quality concerns.

Strong Motivation for Agroforestry

The project has gained significant momentum this past year, increasing the number of farmers interested in implementing agroforestry practices.

Before planting, farmers receive three key training sessions: socialization, agroforestry, and maintenance. This ensures that project participants have the knowledge and skills to implement best practices in agroforestry systems on their farms.

Local Cooperatives

Local cooperatives receive Nursery Operations and Management training from our local partner, Alter Trade Foundation Philippines Inc. This training aims to enable local cooperatives to produce seedlings that may be used in the project in the future.

Bogo City

With no capital to develop the land, a local farmer joined the project with the hope of converting part of his unproductive land into a productive farm. With support from the project, the farmer received a thousand seedlings composed of nine different species.

In partnership with Alter Trade Foundation Philippines Inc. (ATFP), farmers from three separate cooperatives have received training and implemented different agroforestry models on their farms.

"I joined because of the purpose of protecting my area against strong winds during the northeast monsoon. I learned that through this program, it will help me to know what are the applicable trees to plant and evaluate my farm for sustainability. I was impressed because, at the same time, I can generate income in the future."

Farmer, Philippines

"To fully optimize the usage of my land that is vacant and barren. To lessen the vulnerability of soil erosion in my area and also gain extra income from fruit and timber, so that my children will have the ability to send my grandchildren to college."

Farmer, Philippines