Farm Land Improvement – Philippines

ITF are supporting The Partnership for Ecological Orientation for the Preservation of Leyte’s Environment Organisation (PEOPLE), an organisation working in the island of Leyte, Philippines. PEOPLE are managing a project which has been running for two years to rehabilitate 10 hectares of farm land and to restore the soil fertility for sustainable upland farming.

The maintenance and protection of newly established forest and fruit trees is carried out by two community based organisations using a combination of co-operative labour and food for work incentives.

In the long term, the two farming villages will get additional income from the harvest of planted fruit trees. Intercropping with other agroforestry crops such as root crops will benefit immediate food needs for local project participants.

PEOPLE have already planted 6000 native forest trees and 1000 fruit trees. Species include Mango, Durian, Jackfruit, Santol and the native Red Sandalwood tree or Narra Tree which is traditionally one of the most important multipurpose trees for timber and medicine.

This project is supported by ITF Surrey Branch.