An e-publication by the World Agroforestry Centre

CONSERVATION FARMING ON SLOPING LANDS:
Summary and Highlights from a Roving Workshop (Misamis oriental Province, Mindanao, philippines) Printprint Preview

Getting Started

On November 2nd, the group traveled from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, provincial capital of Misamis Oriental, northern Mindanao. As an icebreaking exercise, each participant had an opportunity to interview someone coming from another country, and then introduced him/her to the entire group.

Following the cross-introductions, Delia Catacutan, ICRAF-Lantapan NRM Specialist, facilitated the leveling of expectations. During this time, the participants were encouraged to write down what they expected to get out of the roving workshop. From among the many expectations the participants expressed, there were four major points:

  • To acquire new knowledge and/or technologies regarding conservation farming

  • To learn more about technology transfer from farmer to scientist and vice-versa

  • To develop a framework and strategy for conservation farming research and development for Vietnam

  • To set-up a firm network and working plan for VACB in 1999 with regard to conservation farming activities.

The objectives and procedures of the workshop were then explained by Chun Lai, VACB Coordinator based at ICRAF-Philippines, focusing on three elements:

  • Visit Claveria conservation farming sites to gain new knowledge and insights on technical and institutional innovations

  • Present overview and case study papers on conservation farming aspects in Vietnam

  • Plan conservation farming research, training and dissemination activities to be supported by VACB in 1999 in Vietnam.

The participants were urged to keep the following in mind during the field visits to Claveria:

  • Importance of social factors as well as technical and institutional innovations

  • Similarities/differences between the Philippine and Vietnamese conservation farming situations

  • How new knowledge gained from field may be tested/applied back in Vietnam

  • Please take good notes for the field learning synthesis session at the end of the workshop.

Next, Agustin Mercado, ICRAF-Claveria Site Coordinator, provided a briefing on the sites that the group would visit the following two days. He also prepared an excellent set of field site notes for the participants (see Annex 5).