Successful farming on precipitous slopes: A 170-year-old indigenous improved-fallow system at Naalad in the Philippines

Agroforestry has been a longstanding practice among smallholder farmers in the Philippines, particularly indigenous communities in upland regions who engage in traditional shifting cultivation systems. As population pressure increases and the ratio of people to available land rises, some farmers have developed innovative improved fallow systems to accelerate soil rejuvenation and enhance productivity. One notable example is the Naalad system on Cebu Island, which eliminates the need for burning and significantly reduces the land area required for fallowing, allowing quicker recovery from cropping. Developed over 150 years ago in response to the region’s steep and rugged terrain, the Naalad system has continually evolved through farmer-driven innovations. While this system remains in use today, current challenges may lead to its decline and eventual abandonment—not due to any inherent flaws but rather external pressures. Despite this, the technology behind the Naalad system still holds significant potential for replication across various landscapes in the Asia-Pacific region, offering a sustainable approach to land restoration.

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