Objectives

To create an enabling environment for the realization of the National Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) target and to mainstream biodiversity-friendly agricultural (BDFA) practices in the Cagayan de Oro River Basin (CDORB) through national policy framework implementation and capacity strengthening.

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

The combined effect of the project’s components will improve ecosystem services stemming from agricultural and agroforestry lands in CDORB, brought about by the application of integrated BDFA and SLM practices. The implementation of BDFA and SLM will also result in an increase in the agrobiodiversity found in the project’s targeted agricultural landscapes and beyond. Reducing land degradation within the agroecosystem will have positive ecological and socio-economic consequences, where the latter will have impact on the local farmer communities’ livelihoods, as well as financial implications. More than 10,000 ha of farmlands will benefit from direct project interventions. In addition, through project facilitated voluntary replication of similar type of BDFA and SLM practices, as well as changed management via for instance amendments to the CLUP of the CDORB’s five LGUs, the project will ensure sustainable management of at least 58,000 ha. The project’s area of influence could, however, be much larger depending upon the BDFA and SLM practices uptake in other areas of the Philippines. Such uptake could occur in areas of the five project LGUs which are situated outside the CDORB or within the five LDN priority river basins with which the project will also work. Facilitated by the BDFAP and LDN JAOs, the project’s knowledge management and results dissemination, as well as its collaboration with Government departments, including DA and DenR, will facilitate the upscaling of BDFA and SLM practices outside CDORB. The project’s alignment with government programs, for instance DenR’s NGP and DA’s NOAP, are examples of upscaling vehicles, as is the One DA Reform Agenda. The project’s work on relevant regulations, guidelines, and plans will provide for a more holistic and integrated approach towards mitigating land degradation. The project’s enhancement of the agriculture and agroforestry aspects of the local CLUPs and its support to LGU and barangay programs and plans (e.g. city development plans, river basin strategic management plans, watershed management plans, IP ADSDPP) will facilitate the adoption of SLM and BDFA in the agricultural landscapes within CDORB. This will result in a reduction or halt of land degradation, ensure better soil and water conservation and management, increase habitats mosaic within the agroecosystem benefitting biodiversity and improved livelihood for people depending upon the services and products of the land and the value chain products and services these provide. The direct project beneficiaries, including national, provincial and local government agency staff, as well as staff from academia and NGOs, will, due to the project, improve their knowledge and skills on using analytical tools, prepare environment sensitive trade-off analysis, as well as use this knowledge to assess and revise plans and programs to ensure that they are ecosystem services orientated. At least 1,900 staff (50% female) will be capacitated under the project. More than 10,000 local community members including farmers, farmers cooperatives, agribusinesses and indigenous people etc. will be capacitated in the use of BDFA and SLM management technologies that reduce land degradation and improve local agrobiodiversity and traditional varieties[1]. This will, among others, result in at least 2,500 households (11,250 persons) having a 10% increase in household’s income stemming from improved cropland management using BDFA and SLM practices. Of these, 50% of the beneficiaries will be women. As part of this, at least 1,000 households from IP communities will be actively engaged in growing selected local varieties and traditional crops and 750 IP households will be supported to adopt or re-adopt/adapt improved farming practices mimicking traditional farming systems and their ecological functions. Incremental funding from existing government and local development programs as well as linkages with microfinancing schemes will support BDFA and SLM implementation within the agroecosystem and improve and diversify livelihoods and incomes of stakeholder communities and ensure sustainability of investments beyond the life of the project. The project’s recognition of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) and traditional agrobiodiversity products compatible with SLM and BDFA principles will not only preserve knowledge but will also improve understanding and sensitivity towards IP culture and heritage. Aspects of this may be included in the complimentary development project and programs undertaken by government, NGOs or as part of companies’ CSR. In addition, through the project’s engagement with the IP tribal leaderships, the capacities within the IP councils will be strengthened leading to increased cooperation with various IP groups and improved partnership outlook with non-IPs organizations and institutions. The training materials, training videos and MOOC will be made available for all interested parties through the publicized project Knowledge Hub. Indirect beneficiaries will include the wider farming communities in CDORB but will also extend into the five priority river basins with which the project is working as well as into the Philippines at large - through Government interventions and promotion of the project. While at least 150,000 persons are expected to be reached through the project’s learning events and technical work, it is difficult to predict how many would benefit from the project’s interventions long-term but the numbers is perceived to be substantial. [1] Stakeholders involved in the project’s training are further described in the result and partnership section below, and more detailed information is provided in the Project Document Annex 9 (Description of Project Activities)

Objectives

Prevent, reduce and reverse land degradation processes (SDG 2, 13, 15) to promote the sustainable development of rural communities, ensuring the provision of key ecosystem services and food sovereignty, within the framework of national efforts to achieve the LDN in Ecuador (2.4.1; 13.2.1; 15.3.1).

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

359. The direct beneficiaries of the Project are 5,450 people, of whom 2,338 are women and 3,112 are men, who live in the intervention sites and who will benefit from all the actions of the project (on-farm activities, value chain and capacity strengthening).360. The core benefit of the project will be the enhancement of local actors’ capacities in the project intervention areas, in the intervention landscapes, in the northern and central highlands and on the Ecuadorian coast, to cope with the pressures and impacts caused by climate change and land degradation. The peasant economies, indigenous peoples and rural communities are highly vulnerable to problems arising from abrupt changes in rainfall patterns, more frequent frosts, sudden changes in temperature and pests and diseases that affect their crops and animals, and who operate in a context of marginalization due to poor market integration and limited access to technology, credit and training.361. In response to this reality, communities themselves have been forced to develop resilient practices or that exist as part of their ancestral knowledge. The project will collect and systematise these practices, which often include the conservation of native agrobiodiversity, crop rotation and diversification, and the application of soil management techniques, while working together with farmers, men and women, indigenous peoples and rural communities in the dissemination of technologies and the exchange of experiences to improve their sustainable land management strategies.362. A greater adaptation capacity will also be possible by working in coordination with local institutions and organizations to strengthen local spaces for discussion and decision making to efficiently manage the resources of a given territory, improve the living conditions of its inhabitants, and implement actions to reduce risks. This benefit implies, therefore, the strengthening of governance mechanisms where multiple actors converge in the implementation of intersectoral policies.363. In this regard, it is expected that 2,250 men and 1,500 women will adopt SLM practices that will help reduce the pressures identified and recover and increase agricultural production and productivity contributing to the betterment of livelihoods.364. Through the project interventions and enhanced capacities of the beneficiaries, local and regional benefits will be seen in terms of improved livelihoods, cultural assertiveness and environmental sustainability and will help support the long-term maintenance of global environmental benefits (described in section 1.a Project Description - 6) Global Environmental Benefits). These benefits will be:• Conservation and maintenance of ecosystem services (e.g., water regulation).• Maintenance of cultural, aesthetic and spiritual benefits, scenic beauty, preservation of places of cultural significance, territorial identity, and appreciation of natural heritage.• Benefits to the local economy through strengthened value chains and improved access to markets that help create new sources of diversification, income and better livelihoods and social benefits in terms of strengthened partnerships. The skills acquired in the implementation of sustainable value chains and market access will contribute to the improvement of incomes and livelihoods of 500 men and 500 women who take part in fruit and vegetables, milk and dairy products, honey and coffee value chains, who will see their incomes increased by 10% (the income baseline will be measured in year 1).• Social benefits in terms of fostering strategic partnerships and empowering local actors (including women and indigenous peoples).• Improvement of food security and quality of life and well-being of the population through long-term agricultural production sustainability, increased yields and availability of food products for local population.• Furtherance of Decent Rural Employment through project actions embedded in the four pillars of decent employment, namely: Table 10. Project contribution to the Decent Rural Employment pillars Pillar Pillar themes related to the project intervention Project-specific actions Pillar 1 Employment creation and enterprise development · Support to women and men smallholders to access markets and value chains · Employment creation in rural areas, specifically for youth and women · Vocational and educational programmes for rural population technical and entrepreneurial skills. · Capacity development programme (Output 1.2.1). · Incentive mechanisms (Output 3.1.1). · Value chains and market access (Output 3.1.2). Pillar 2 Social protection · Improving working conditions in rural areas, including effective maternity and income protection. · Capacity development (Output 1.2.1). · SLM/SFM practices (Output 2.1.2). · Incentive mechanisms (Output 3.1.1). · Beneficiaries income increase, reducing the income gap between men and women (Output 3.1.2). Pillar 3 Standards and right to work · Socially responsible production, specifically to reduce gender and age discrimination · SLM/SFM practices (Output 2.1.2). · Incentive mechanisms (Output 3.1.1). · Sustainable value chains and market access (Output 3.1.2). Pillar 4 Governance and social dialogue · Participation of the rural poor in decision-making and governance mechanisms. · Rural women and youth empowered to participate in these processes from the beginning. · Sub-national systems to support decision-making (Output 1.2.2). · Integrating the LDN approach (Outputs 1.3.1 and 1.3.2). · Participatory implementation plans (Output 2.1.1). 365. At the national level, this work scheme is a concerted effort between MAAE and MAG which will design and implement a public policy on land degradation neutrality. This working approach facilitates dissemination of local benefits to other geographical areas of the country, improving the conditions for the country to plan and promote changes in the productive sectors, in food security and sovereignty, in its capacity to adapt to climate change and in the recovery of ecosystems and biodiversity. [1] According to FAO’s definition Decent rural employment refers to any activity, occupation, work, business or service performed for pay or pro­fit by women and men, adults and youth, in rural areas that: 1) respects the core labour standards as defi­ned in ILO conventions; 2) provides an adequate living income; 3) entails an adequate degree of employment security and stability; 4) adopts sector-speci­fic minimum occupational safety and health measures; 5) avoids excessive working hours and allows sufficient time for rest; 6) promotes access to adapted technical and vocational training.

Objectives

To maximize the effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of GEF-7 investments in sustainable drylands management to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality

Other

Note: Disbursement data provided is cumulative and covers disbursement made by the project Agency.

Target Groups

1. As is the case with global environmental benefits and gender, the GCP will serve to amplify the delivery of socioeconomic benefits by the child projects that constitute the programme through: - The coordination of efforts among projects and partipating countries in order to realize the potential for synergies, and avoid duplication, conflicts or impact leakages. - Facilitate participating countries’ access to knowledge and technical assistance, and the exchange of knowledge among countries (IP and non-IP) on options for reconciling the delivery of global environmental benefits with socioeconomic benefits (including win-win options where the socioeconomic benefits actively support the achievement of GEBs, and vice versa). - Facilitating access to policy support through COFO WG on Dryland and UNCCD.11. Livelihoods, Employment, and responding to the global health challenges. 1. The GCP will facilitate efforts by child projects, through technical assistance and knowledge resources, to improve their effectiveness in contributing to improved livelihoods, employment, and responding to health challenges such as COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Issues of particular relevance in relation to the DSL IP include the following: - Most poor people in drylands depend on agriculture, which is typically characterized by precarious and poorly-remunerated jobs. - Degradation, desertification, and deforestation of land and ecosystems in drylands lead to increasing difficulties to produce and secure a dignified income from agricultural work. - Youth in particular (especially young women) face additional disadvantages in accessing productive and gainful jobs, due to their limited access to productive resources, including land and credit, as well as markets and organizations. The impacts of climate and environmental change may affect access to decent jobs for youth, especially in the agriculture sectors where the great majority of jobs are water-dependent. - Lack of jobs and deteriorating environmental conditions often result in youth migration. This is particularly true in drylands, where migration is closely linked to environmental stresses and is often used as a way to adapt to environmental and climate changes. - Early removal from school to put children into child labour responds to a functional and economic dependency of farmers facing desertification and the loss of their resources. This situation can trap children and youth in a vicious cycle of hunger and poverty.- At the time of submission, the response to the COVID-19 emergency in IP countries was in the process of being developed and implemented. The GCP will facilitate efforts of country projects to work with national government counterparts to ensure wherever possible that IP investments are supporting the resilience of food systems, value chains, and the employment associated with this. 2. Interventions under the IP, which will be supported by the GCP, recognise that revitalising rural economies and actively promoting productive employment and decent work in rural areas is crucial to improve food security and reduce inequalities and poverty while also promoting safe, regular and orderly migration for the development of rural areas. Decent jobs are opportunities for work that are productive, respect core labour standards, provide a fair income (whether through self-employment or wage labour) and ensure equal treatment for all: workers should be able to perform their tasks under safe and healthy conditions and have a voice in the workplace. Through the IP, the sustainable management and restoration of landscapes, and the improvement of natural resource management and rural livelihoods, could address some of the adverse drivers of migration by improving the well-being and resilience of local populations, especially youth. As noted above, this will also include facilitating the efforts of national government counterparts to respond to the COVID-19 crisis in their countries in ways which support collaboration between IP participants and outreach to neighboring countries.3. The GCP will allow child projects to tap into the particular contributions that FAO is able to make in relation to decent rural employment. In order to provide specific guidance to help improve outcomes for livelihoods and employment through country project and GCP interventions, the Decent Rural Employment Toolbox has been designed to provide assistance to policy makers and planners, rural development practitioners and FAO staff at country level on how to systemize and scale up ongoing efforts to promote decent employment in rural areas[1]. [1] Specific guidance on how FAO can promote the Four Pillars of Decent Work in rural areas is provided in the Quick reference for addressing decent rural employment (as well as in the full corresponding Guidance document). For more information on FAO’s work on decent rural employment and related guidance materials please consult the FAO thematic website at: http://www.fao.org/rural-employment/en/.