Speakers - AFHWC2025

Sustainable development remains a global imperative, particularly in addressing contemporary challenges such as poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and climate change. Within the agricultural sector, community-based approaches have emerged as pivotal strategies for fostering resilient and inclusive growth at the grassroots level. However, these initiatives often grapple with scalability, resource mobilization, and long- term sustainability issues. Inspired by the notable success of the Yamang Lupa Program in 2013, which focused on soil rejuvenation in upland areas of the Philippines, the Sustainable Community-Based Action R4DE for Livelihood Enhancement, Upliftment, and Prosperity (SCALE-UP) program was launched in 2021. The SCALE-UP program aims to scale R4DE initiatives to larger agricultural communities. It adopts a holistic and science-driven approach to addressing agricultural challenges by integrating the principles of resilience, resourcefulness, collaboration, and innovation.

The SCALE-UP program was piloted across four key regions in the Philippines: Ilocos Norte (Region I), CALABARZON (Region 4A), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), and Zamboanga Peninsula (Region IX). The program operates within a robust framework comprising four core components: (1) Program management structure and policies, (2) Productivity enhancement and natural resources management, (3) Capacity building and community empowerment, and (4) Sustainable livelihood, marketing, and income enhancement. This comprehensive strategy aims to establish innovative and sustainable agricultural practices tailored to the specific needs of each pilot region.

One of the program's hallmark innovations is the introduction of the Soil Health Card and GIS-based colored soil health map, a location- and crop-specific, farmer-friendly tools designed to guide optimal fertilizer management. These tools are complemented by targeted product development initiatives, effective marketing strategies, intensive capacity-building activities, and structured program management to ensure seamless implementation and transition to Local Government Units (LGUs). As a result, the program has achieved a 37% yield increase in major crops and a 65% increase in farmer incomes across pilot areas.

The SCALE-UP program has fostered widespread farmer participation, engaging 12,932 direct and spill-over beneficiaries and adopters, covering 21,141 hectares. This extensive reach highlights the program's effectiveness in bridging technology adoption and capacity building, empowering rural communities through science-based interventions. Given its measurable successes, the Bureau of Agricultural Research—the research arm of the Department of Agriculture in the Philippines—is poised to expand the SCALE-UP