An innovative Agroforestry System for Food and Fuel Production

Abstract

In the Philippines, as the population passes 100 million, issues of food security, clean energy access and natural resource use have come into sharper focus, as well as the growing threats from climate change. New and innovative agricultural systems are required to satisfy these critical challenges. For the past 20 years, the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Project in Mindanao has been developing solutions to some of these issues. Its conservation agriculture with trees (CAT) system has helped stabilize and build up soils, conserve water, and prevent landslides in the uplands, while increasing food productivity. However, the clean energy component, which is vital for both greenhouse gas mitigation and food security, has been missing. This paper describes the integration of bioenergy into the CAT system. It draws upon cutting edge bioenergy models in the Philippines and internationally to highlight the potential for an integrated food–energy system using agroforestry, livestock, and bioenergy. It outlines the feasibility and merits of such an approach in the upland farms of the Southern Philippines.