Cacao-planted Panay forests to reduce greenhouse gas
Nearly 2,000 hectares of mixed forest and agroforestry areas in Panay Island will be planted with cacao to boost these areas’ ability to sequester carbon, reducing greenhouse gas accumulation in the air.
About 1,060 hectares of speciesrich mixed forest and 890 hectares of agroforestry areas will be allotted for the cacao plantation
The activity is a continuing phase of the Forest and Climate Protection in Panay (FCPP) project pursued by German cooperation agency Gesselschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), under a new memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Cocoa Foundation of the Philippines (Cocoaphil).
The two-year project is also in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
"The natural forest in Panay is the most important carbon sink in the region. Conservation is therefore vitally important. With local people’s participation, forest land use plans are developed,” the GIZ said.
Cocoaphil president Edward David explained that the project will also help beef up the country’s cocoa production and seize export market.
Cocoa global shortage is predicted at one million metric tons (MT) by 2020.
"We are supporting the Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Cacao Project by addressing cacao shortage through training, consulting services, and provision of planting materials," David said.
The second FCPP is a continuation of the first GIZ project with the same project name that mustered support from Panay island’s 20 local government units (LGUs) and their communities.
Households have established a total of 1,060 hectares of mixed forest and 890 hectares of agroforestry areas.
The MOA signed by David and by GIZ principal advisor for FCCP, Dr. Klaus Schmitt aims to sustain the protection of natural resource management areas by planting these with cacao, coffee, abaca, and other crops.
Under the cacao program, maximum support for farmers comes to 110,000 for material subsidy and 14,000 for labor subsidy. The same support is allocated for coffee and abaca, according to GIZ senior adviser Bernardo Agaloos Jr.
"A ready market linking the farmers directly to CocoaPhil, Manila Cordage, and Nestle who would purchase all produce that meet quantity and quality at equitable prices beyond the lifetime of the project would be the key factor for success," Agaloos said.
Planting of the cocoa will be in Ibajay and Libacao in Aklan; Pandan, Sebaste, Laua-an, Bugasong, Valderrama, Patnongon, Sibalom, and San Remigio in Antique; Tapaz, Capiz; and, San Joaguin, Miag-ao, Tubungan, Janiuay, and Lambunao in Iloilo.
GIZ, however, has yet to indicate target area of planting for each crop per year.
Cocoaphil will introduce value adding into cacao production processes (processing into chocolates) and also link cacao farmers to markets. It will purchase fermented or dried cacao beans.
The GIZ project will rehabilitate degraded forest lands through natural regeneration and upland farming technologies.
The German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, which funds GIZ has supported Panay forest conservation as Panay is a known habitat for certain endangered species.
For instance, the endangered Dulungan hornbill and Rafflesia plants are known to be endemic in Panay.
GIZ has noted how slash-and-burn or kaingin, unregulated logging and poaching have posed a threat to the entire region's ecosystem.
Kaingin (slash-and-burn farming) in particular has contributed to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
However, the first FCPP is sestimated to have contributed to a decrease in GHG, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) emission totaling 16,800 metric tons (MT) per year. This was accomplished by stopping deforestation. Reforestation activities have further reduced CO2 emission placed at 11,650 MT per year.