PROJECTS

The research conducted water footprint assessment (WFA) on 7 selected DA’s priority crops such as coffee, cocoa, coconut, rubber, sugarcane, banana and pineapple. This is to ultimately formulate recommendations and response strategies toward water footprint reduction and sustainable water allocation and management at each specific test sites in the Philippines. Specifically, the study aims to: (1) determine site-specific total water footprint (blue, green and grey) of the seven selected priority agricultural crops; (2) determine water availability and allocation scenario in each test sites; (3) assess the sustainability of the seven selected priority crops for each test sites considering different scenarios (e.g. baseline scenario, climate change impacts); and (4) capacitate DA and other government agencies, farmers and other stakeholders on water footprint assessment through the development of an excel-based and user-friendly water footprint accounting toolkit. Water footprint assessment is an indicator of direct and indirect appropriation of freshwater resources measured over the entire supply chain. Similar to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), it has four distinct methodological phases based from Hoekstra et al. (2011)— goal and scope setting, water footprint accounting, water footprint sustainability assessment and water footprint response formulation.

Goal and scope setting is the initial phase which sets the purpose of the study and frames scope (both spatial and temporal scale) of the subsequent steps or phases. This phase also indicates the assumptions, which data will be used and how each subsequent steps of the assessments will be approached. Water footprint accounting constitutes the bulk of the work in WFA since data collection is necessary to calculate the water footprint of specific crop within the defined scope of the study. Data collected for each location include climate and rainfall data, crop parameters, cropping pattern, soil characteristics, irrigation maps, fertilizer and pesticides application rates, crop water demand, ambient water quality standards and other distinct parameters. Water footprint sustainability assessment involves environmental sustainability, resource efficiency and equitable allocation. Information and results obtained from phases 2 and 3 shall be the basis in formulating response strategies and recommendations leading to water footprint reduction and sustainability improvement.

Water footprint assessment of these priority crops intends to evaluate environmental sustainability, resource efficiency and equitable allocation of water use within a defined spatial and temporal scale. Moreover, water scarcity and water pollution potential of these crops will also be assessed. Results of this study can provide valuable inputs on the development of efficient water management protocols and guidelines. In addition, the study targets to generate an excel-based and user-friendly water footprint accounting toolkit aimed at capacitating DA and other government agencies on a standardized water footprint assessment toward sustainable water allocation and management.

The demand for meat products has been continuously increasing in the past years with pork as the most widely eaten meat in the world (Reckman, 2013). There is a consistent market demand for livestock products to support the need of the world’s growing population. In line with this, issues regarding the harmful effects of livestock production (particularly in this study, hog raising) on the environment caught the attention of different environmental sectors. Intensification of swine farming in the Philippines causes environmental problems particularly on waste management and as reported by Briones (2005).

Given these concerns in the swine industry, this study aims to evaluate the existing swine production practices and recommend a sustainable and appropriate management that would cost-effectively lessen GHG emissions and water pollution. In order to meet this objective, this study will determine the carbon footprint or global warming potential (GWP), life cycle costing and social acceptability of existing swine production by conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). By doing so, the project will be able to identify environmental hotspots and evaluate the appropriate technology that will reduce GHG emissions that is socially acceptable at a minimal cost , thus providing data that will serve as reference in recommending the appropriate swine production system relative to GHG emissions. This project will serve as a guide for future investors, agricultural firms, and other organizations that would venture into swine production. This study may also promote effective mitigation practices for the negative environmental impacts of pig farming. It will also serve as a tool for policy makers and government agencies in generating action plans for the advancement of the swine industry.

The research project entitled, “Development of a Cost-effective and Sustainable Abaca Fiber Production in the Philippines, is an on-going study about the environmental, social, and economic impacts of the current abaca production system in the Philippines. In an aim to address the problems on the need for sustainability assessment for abaca fiber industry, this study has been initiated with the funding assistance of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).  Moreover, as one of the 20 high-value crops that is regarded as priority commodities by the Department of Agriculture, there is a great potential for abaca to raise the income earning capacity of abaca producers.

The main objective of the project is to develop a cost-effective practice of producing natural abaca fiber by studying the current production practices of the top four abaca fiber producing provinces in the Philippines such as Catanduanes, Northern Samar, Davao Oriental, and Surigao del Sur. Specifically, the project aims to (1) account the greenhouse gas emissions of the four abaca production test sites; (2) determine and compare the life cycle costs of the four abaca production test sites through actual site visits, data collection, and consultation; (3) identify economic, environmental, and social hotspots, and ways of sustainably improving the current abaca production practices; (4) assess the social acceptability of adapting a cost-effective abaca fiber production practice that minimizes greenhouse gas emissions; (5) create an Excel-based tool for computing life cycle cost and greenhouse gas emissions of abaca crop from plantation to processing; (6) conduct LCA training on site assessment, data gathering, and utilization of the Excel-based tool for capacity building; and (7) establish a sustainability criterion that would serve as a benchmark for the country’s abaca fiber production.

One significant factor for determining the environmental impacts of abaca is to account for its equivalent carbon sequestration. A standard methodology for carbon sequestration accounting is being developed by the project wherein actual field sampling of considered carbon pools (above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, ground litter, and soil organic carbon) and utilization of allometric equations are performed. It is projected that abaca fiber production in the country has the potential to reduce the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the agriculture sector (30.82% Philippine GHG emission share as of 2010) or the least, is carbon-neutral. Therefore, adapting a sustainable abaca fiber production could be one of the possible climate change mitigating options of the Philippine government especially now that we are committed to reduce 70% GHG emissions by 2030 based on our business-as-usual scenario. This method shall serve as a useful tool for researchers in estimating the environmental impacts not just of abaca but of other crops as well.

With the assistance of local government units and private sectors, social acceptability of abaca producers (farmers, grading baling establishment, and traders) on the current abaca fiber production practices of are assessed though surveys. Costings of products, raw materials, fuel-use, other utilities, capital investments, employee salaries, and other maintenance and operating expenses are compiled for economic impact assessment of abaca fiber production. These data will be interpreted using Life Cycle Assessment.

At the end of the project, an Excel-based tool will be generated to account for actual carbon emission and life cycle cost of abaca.  Recommendations and action plans for the Philippine abaca fiber industry will be formulated wherein a sustainability criterion will be established to serve as a benchmark for the country’s abaca fiber production.