Does non farm job growth encourage or retard soil conservation in Philippines uplands? /
By: Rola, Agnes.
Contributor(s): Coxhead, Ian.
Series: Vol. 29 No. 1 First Sem 2002.Description: p.55.Subject(s): Non farm employment (NFE) | Agricultural household labor supply | Interprovincial migration patterns | Lantapan farmers | Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) | Soil ConservationOnline resources: Click here to access online In: Philippine Journal of DevelopmentSummary: If land-degrading agricultural intensification in uplands is driven by labor migration, what will be the effect of nonfarm employment growth? On one hand, a higher opportunity cost of farm labor should reduce labor-intensive cultivation methods. On the other hand, there may also be a reduction in labor-intensive soil conservation practices. This paper investigates this question using data from an upland watershed in Bukidnon, Philippines. Findings suggest that while off-farm employment growth will in general support environmental improvements in the long run, there is a continuing need for agricultural and environmental policies to buttress this trend.If land-degrading agricultural intensification in uplands is driven by labor migration, what will be the effect of nonfarm employment growth? On one hand, a higher opportunity cost of farm labor should reduce labor-intensive cultivation methods. On the other hand, there may also be a reduction in labor-intensive soil conservation practices. This paper investigates this question using data from an upland watershed in Bukidnon, Philippines. Findings suggest that while off-farm employment growth will in general support environmental improvements in the long run, there is a continuing need for agricultural and environmental policies to buttress this trend.