Sustainable agriculture development in the Philippines: revisit of tools and values of agriculture

Abstract

In the Philippines, various forms of agricultural systems have emerged because of the pressures from rapid increase in population and accompanying urbanization. It was clarified that agriculture to be sustainable must take into account the role of the market and the overall economic development of the country, Agriculture development and technology applications must not be static and must continuously harmonize with the ever changing market and economic situations. The Philippines has passed a Law on Agricultural Modernization which protect agricultural lands from irrational conversion. Three good agricultural practices to address food security and water needs for agriculture were discussed. This includes the promotion of Hybrid Rice, the use of Organic based balance fertilization technology and the implementation of Community-base Rainwater Harvesting Technology. In order to provide a total picture of the role of sustainable agriculture and its contribution to national food security and environment, the concept of multi-functionality was presented. This method of valuation provide some estimate of the monetary values of the key externalities of agriculture.