In response to substantial deforestation over many decades, large scale reforestation programs are being implemented across many tropical developing countries. Examples include the United Nations Billion Trees Campaign, the National Greening Program in the Philippines, and the 5 million ha reforestation program in Vietnam. However, while substantial investments are being made in reforestation, little information exists on the drivers influencing reforestation success and how these interact to determine environmental and socio-economic outcomes. In this study we surveyed 43 reforestation projects on Leyte Island, The Philippines to identify the drivers that most influence reforestation success as measured by key indicators drawn from the literature, including interactions between drivers and between drivers and indicators. We investigated 98 potential success drivers, including technical and biophysical factors; socio-economic factors; institutional, policy and management factors; and reforestation project characteristics. We also measured 12 success indicators, including forest establishment, forest growth, environmental and socio-economic success indicators. Stepwise multiple regressions were used to identify significant relationships among drivers and indicators and this analysis was used to develop a system of driver and indicator relationships. Based on this we found that revegetation method, funding source, education and awareness campaigns, the dependence of local people on forests, reforestation incentives, project objectives, forest protection mechanisms and the condition of road infrastructure were highly connected drivers that influenced multiple success indicators either directly or indirectly. We conclude that policies targeting revegetation methods, socioeconomic incentives, forest protection mechanisms, sustainable livelihoods, diversification of funding and partnerships, technical support, and infrastructure development are likely to have a broad systemic and beneficial effect on the success of reforestation programs in tropical developing countries.

http://www.rainforestation.ph/resources/pdf/publications/Le_et_al_2013.pdf

What drives the success of reforestation projects in tropical developing countries? The case of the Philippines

Introduction. The evaluation of community action is an advisable practice in community work, that can help to properly manage resources and to improve social and educational interventions. Participation-oriented evaluation approaches are an opportunity to evaluate community action relying involving all stakeholders, not just those with technical background and skills. With the basis provided by the information of international literature on the subject, in this paper we make a theoretical analysis of participation-oriented evaluation approaches, with three goals: to justify its relevance in the evaluation of community actions; to present the specific characteristics of the most cited participatory approaches in that literature, and to clarify their shared characteristics.  Method. We carried out a systematic review and analysis of articles published in international journals on evaluation and community development since 2000.  Results. The results present the specific features of four approaches used in the field of evaluation of  community actions: (1) Collaborative evaluation; (2) Practical-Participatory Evaluation; (3) Transformative- Participatory evaluation; and (4) Empowerment Evaluation; and the characteristics shared by these four methods,  besides other approaches referenced in the bibliography attached, which are focused on the participation  of people. Conclusions. From our point of view, the models that best fit the socio-educational approaches to community action are the Transformative-Participatory Evaluation and the Empowerment Evaluation. The Participatory Evaluation in which we frame our actions is the one that allows us to change and to acquire in this process, new powers that allow us to transform the reality we are living in.

https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4727839.pdf

Enfoques de evaluación orientados a la participación en los procesos de acción comunitaria

/pdf/developing-indicators-of-sustainable-agriculture-at-farm-i5zf5oe7xw.pdf

Developing Indicators of Sustainable Agriculture at Farm Level

While the last century was mainly focusing on conservation measures in landscape ecology, the present century has certainly to deal with restoration, rehabilitation and reclamation of entire landscapes. Aspects and forms of degradation are discussed in this paper showing the complexity of the task ahead for researchers and applied agriculturists. The tropical forested areas are of special concern under the aspect of their enormous variety of biotopes and biocoenosis and their protective functions and ecological services to man in a given landscape. The specific responsibility of agro-forestry systems is described and the innovative “Rainforestation Farming” technology for rehabilitation of degraded landscapes in a “near-to-nature” farming system is described. The gradual transformation of monocultures into highly diverse tree farming systems is discussed and also some aspects of global dimension, like the reduction of carbon dioxide and aspects of carbon sequestration.

/pdf/rainforestation-farming-an-appropriate-and-applied-3b7dacitv8.pdf

“Rainforestation Farming” – an Appropriate and Applied Ecological Approach for Landscape Rehabilitation and Impact Mitigation of Climate Change in the Humid Tropics

The energy analysis is necessary for stable management of resources to produce agricultural product and also determination of consumed energy in each production step, obtaining a base for resources protection, helping in stable management and presentation of related diplomacy are premium of this process. Prosperous applying of quantitative methods can redound to accurate, reliable and economic solutions with reasonable time. Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method can change a multi-dimension problem to a single-dimension problem. According to importance of above subjects and input value increasing in agricultural system, high tendency of agriculture's for further production and intensification of difference plantation in Mazandaran province (Amol city) of Iran, investigation of appropriate pattern of winter cultivation (Lettuce, Bersim Clover, Broad bean) can be effective on winter cultivation system stability. The result demonstrated that in criteria priority according to experts' evaluation , economic, social, technical criteria were more available than ecological and political criteria. The result illustrated that for economic, social and technical stability in winter cultivation system stability in Amol, Lettuce, Bersim Clover and Broad bean are appropriate respectively. For realization of ecological stability, Broad bean, Bersim Clover and Lettuce are appropriate respectively and for accessibility to political stability in winter cultivation system, Broad bean and Bersim Clover are in the first level.

The most Appropriate Winter Cultivation in Mazandaran Province of Iran using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)

Forest cover in the Philippines has been greatly reduced in the past and slightly recovered since, estimated at around 24% of land surface currently. Small-scale farmers have to survive on small landholdings (2 ha on average and mostly under 5 ha), face insecure land tenure, and the high population density leaves little scope for gaining new agricultural land. Their farming systems continue to form an important part of their livelihoods, but often their strategies are unsustainable in the long run. While the need for evaluating common farming systems and compare them with new alternatives exists, it is important to involve local stakeholders in the search for suitable sustainability indicators. In this study, the search was based on the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework and therefore organised under its five types of capital assets: natural, financial, physical, human and social capital.
Farmers from five study sites along the Western side of the island of Leyte were gathered in eight focus group discussions to discuss the issues of success and sustainability of their farming systems and identify and rank possible criteria for an evaluation of sustainability. Nine other stakeholders from the same sites were interviewed individually. In a second research phase, all 49 identified criteria were given to 30 farmers and 18 other stakeholders for ranking. Three groups of farmers from the municipality of Baybay were used for comparison: one group of rice and coconut farmers; a second group with (additional) exotic timber trees (usually Gmelina and Acacia mangium); a third group with (additional) indigenous timber trees (?Rainforestation Farming?). The identified indicators were tested regarding their usefulness for comparing the three groups of farmers. Rainforestation Farming, as promising alternative farming system, was analysed further regarding financial aspects and its adoptability with regard to small-scale farmers.
The Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework was useful for identifying suitable evaluation criteria. The importance of the five capital assets groups was perceived similarly by farmers and other stakeholders, but ranking results for single criteria (i.e. soil quality, membership in organisation) differed. The same holds true when comparing results for the four study regions, where the individual ranking was carried out: significant differences existed for single, mostly financial, criteria (i.e. record-keeping, investment costs) but not for importance of the five capital asset groups. The ranking results differed quite substantially, though, between focus groups and individual farmers, indicating on the one hand the influence of group leaders. But, on the other hand, farmers had the complete list of criteria for the individual ranking, including several criteria which they had not thought of previously, but which they still regard as important.
Fifteen criteria were selected as indicators for comparing the three farmers groups. Rainforestation farmers were the group scoring significantly higher on most indicators (i.e education level adults and children, land available per capita, (perceived) soil quality, number of soil conservation measures used, membership in organisation) than farmers without timber trees. Farmers having planted exotic timber trees scored closer to Rainforestation farmers. But to be able to judge if the specific farming system leads to a more sustainable livelihood, time series data would have been necessary. The data of this study allowed concluding that tree farmers planting (indigenous or exotic) timber trees are endowed with higher resources ? more land, higher income, higher education levels. Most likely they had these resources before starting their farming systems. In addition, these farmers were also more actively engaged in organisations and had more contact to extension agents, therefore enhancing their social (and human) capital. The higher score regarding (perceived) soil quality and (non-) use of pesticides these farmers groups reached are likely to be an outcome of the farming system practiced.
Analysing the financial feasibility and adoptability of Rainforestation Farming, it shows that the system has the potential to be profitable, but coming with a high risk: investment costs are very high and it takes up to 13 years to regain them. Consequently, the first adopters either had unused land areas or substantial off-farm income, and the subsequent adoption rate is low. Sustainability has to be understood as a dynamic and not a static concept and the concept of sustainable land management must consequently evolve as well. This study tried to add further findings regarding the use of suitable methods for this cause, but as already mentioned above, time series data would be necessary to assess the progress of farming systems towards ?sustainability?. 
Die Waldflache der Philippinen wurde in der Vergangenheit stark reduziert, hat aber in den letzten Jahren wieder leicht zugenommen, auf etwa 24% bewaldeter Flache. Die philippinischen Kleinbauern bewirtschaften Parzellen von durchschnittlich 2 ha und meist kleiner als 5 ha. Dabei sind die Landrechte unsicher und die Bevolkerungsdichte hoch, was die weitere Erschliesung von Agrarflachen erschwert. Da die praktizierten Anbausysteme oft auf lange Sicht nicht nachhaltig sind, ist ein Vergleich mit neuen Alternativen notwendig. Dabei ist es wichtig lokale Stakeholder in die Suche nach geeigneten Nachhaltigkeitskriterien und Indikatoren mit einzubeziehen.
In dieser Studie wurde der ?Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework? angewandt, mit seinen funf verschiedenen Kapitalformen: naturliches, finanzielles, physisches, menschliches und soziales Kapital. Es wurden acht Gruppendiskussionen mit Kleinbauern und neun Interviews mit weiteren Stakeholdern an funf Studienorten der Westkuste der Insel Leyte durchgefuhrt. Dabei wurden Kriterien ermittelt und bewertet, die die Kleinbauern fur den Erfolg und die Nachhaltigkeit ihrer Anbausysteme verwenden (wurden). Anschliesend wurden die identifizierten 49 Kriterien von 30 Kleinbauern und 18 anderen Stakeholdern individuell bewertet. 
Drei Gruppen Kleinbauern aus dem Bezirk Baybay wurden verglichen: eine Gruppe mit Reis und Kokosnussen; eine mit (zusatzlichen) nicht indigenen Baumarten (hauptsachlich Gmelina und Acacia mangium); eine dritte Gruppe mit (zusatzlichen) einheimischen Baumarten (nach dem ?Rainforestation Farming? System).
Der Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Framework erwies sich als nutzlich um geeignete Evaluationskriterien zu identifizieren. Die Bedeutung der funf Kapitalformen wurde von Kleinbauern und anderen Stakeholdern gleichermasen bewertet, aber fur einzelne Kriterien ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede (z.B. fur Bodenqualitat, Mitglied in einer Organisation). Auch an den vier Standorten, an denen das individuelle Ranking durchgefuhrt wurde, ergaben sich signifikante Unterschiede fur einzelne Kriterien, (z.B. Buchfuhrung, Investitionskosten), aber nicht fur die funf Kapitalformen. Deutliche Unterschiede gab es dagegen zwischen den Bewertungsergebnissen der Gruppendiskussionen und der individuellen Bewertung der Kleinbauern. Zum einen ein Hinweis auf den Einfluss von Fuhrungspersonlichkeiten auf die Gruppendiskussionen, aber zum anderen hatten die Kleinbauern fur die individuelle Bewertung die vollstandige Kriterienliste.
Funfzehn Kriterien wurden als Indikatoren fur den Vergleich der drei Gruppen von Kleinbauern ausgewahlt. Die Gruppe der Rainforestation Kleinbauern erzielte fur die meisten Indikatoren (Ausbildungsstand Erwachsene und Kinder, verfugbares Land pro Kopf, (geschatzte) Bodenqualitat, Anzahl von angewandten Bodenkonservierungsmasnahmen, Mitgliedschaft in einer Organisation) hohere Ergebnisse als Kleinbauern ohne Holz liefernde Baumarten. Die Gruppe Kleinbauern mit nicht indigenes Holz liefernden Baumarten, erzielten ahnliche Ergebnisse wie die Rainforestation Kleinbauern. Aber um beurteilen zu konnen ob das jeweilige Anbausystem zu einer nachhaltigeren Lebensgrundlage fuhrt, ware es notwendig diese Erhebung in zeitlichen Abstanden zu wiederholen. Aus der Datengrundlage dieser Studie kann geschlossen werden, dass forstwirtschaftlich orientierte Kleinbauern mit indigenen oder nicht indigenen Baumarten uber hohere Ressourcen verfugen ? z.B. mehr landwirtschaftliche Flache, hoheres Einkommen und bessere Ausbildung. Es ist anzunehmen, dass diese Ressourcen vor der Aufnahme der jeweiligen forstwirtschaftlichen Anbausysteme vorhanden waren. Die Kleinbauern die (indigene oder exotische) Baume angepflanzt hatten, waren auch aktiver in Organisationen vertreten und hatten mehr Kontakt zu Beratungsstellen, wodurch sie ihr soziales (und humanes) Kapital erhohen. Das bessere Ergebnis im Hinblick auf (geschatzte) Bodenqualitat und (nicht)-Gebrauch von Pestiziden sind wahrscheinlich ein Ergebnis des praktizierten Anbausystems.
Eine genauere Untersuchung des Rainforestation Farming zeigt, das das System sehr profitabel sein kann, gleichzeitig aber mit einem hohen Risiko verbunden ist: Die Investitionskosten sind sehr hoch und eine lange Zeitspanne (bis zu 13 Jahren) ist notig um diese zu amortisieren. Dementsprechend hatten die ersten Rainforestation Kleinbauern entweder ungenutzte Landflachen oder genugend Einkommen aus anderen Quellen, und das System hat sich auserhalb des Projektes kaum unter den Kleinbauern verbreitet.
Nachhaltigkeit ist ein dynamisches, kein statisches Konzept, daher muss sich auch das Konzept der nachhaltigen Landnutzung weiterentwickeln. Diese Studie hat versucht weitere Ergebnisse in Bezug auf geeignete Methoden fur diese Weiterentwicklung beizusteuern. Aber, wie bereits erwahnt, um den Fortschritt von Anbausystemen hinsichtlich ihrer ?Nachhaltigkeit? zu evaluieren ist eine Wiederholung der Erhebung in zeitlichen Abstanden notwendig.

/pdf/participatory-evaluation-of-sustainability-of-farming-1mp8oo6vbw.pdf

Participatory evaluation of sustainability of farming systems in the Philippines

Handle everyday research tasks with reliable, citation-backed results

Your personal Research Agent to handle research tasks with citation-backed results

Popular Tasks used by Researchers

How can I help with your research?

Meet SciSpace

Get more enhanced response by uploading the PDFs you want me to reference.

No relevant PDFs in your library

SciSpace is the AI research assistant for academics. Run systematic literature reviews on 280M+ papers, and write papers with cited sources. Trusted by 1M+ students, PhDs & researchers.

SciSpace | AI for Research

Analyze PDFs

Code & Manuscripts

Funding & Grants

Literature & Patents

Medical & Clinical Data

Systematic Review

Visualize & Present

Web & Data

Build a Google Scholar-like website for your research.

Build a website

Create charts and images for your research

Create a Chart

Write a paper for submission to a journal

Draft a manuscript

Patent Search

Design eye-catching scientific posters in minutes.

Scientific Poster Generation

Systematic Literature Review

One task is running at the moment. Your messages will be shown right after.

Drag and drop or click here to browse

Loved by <highlight>1 million+</highlight> researchers

Extract a list of specific topics and their sources from unstructured text

Topics

Compare and analyze relevant papers that matches with your search

Papers

Get insights from PDFs and bookmarked papers from your library

My library

Recent searches

Try searching for:

Catch AI-generated content in scholarly and non-scholarly content

{ai} Detector

Ai Writer

Get PDF Summaries, highlighted text explanations 

Chat with PDF

Effortlessly create in-text citations and bibliographies in APA and 2,500 other formats

Citation generator

Get explanations, summaries, and answers on academic papers

Ease up your research workflow with {scispace}'s cohort of exciting AI tools

Elevate your academic writing skills and convey your ideas the way you want

Paraphraser

Explore our range of reading and writing tools

Your file is being prepared and should be ready in a few minutes. If it's a large file, it might take a bit longer. You can close this window, and we'll email you the file when it's done.

You have reached a maximum limit of <strong>{limit}</strong> columns in the table. Remove at least <strong>1</strong> column to add or create another one.

Sonja Vilei

Author Tools

Chat about Author

Papers

Participatory evaluation of sustainability of farming systems in the Philippines