Republic of the Philippines

Mindanao State University

Main Campus, Marawi City
College of Agriculture

Graduate Studies Department

Laboratory Activity No. 5

NAME: ORLAN AMBA

Course/section: FS200 (Theories and Principles of Farming Systems)

Date: May 28, 2022

Title of the Article: Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity and profitability

in the Philippines

Posted by: UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity on Exposure.

Objectives:

At the end of the activity, the student will be able to:

1. To assess the current condition on land use in Bukidnon and Leyte;

2. To discuss the impact and effects of intensive cultivation and unsustainable farming
practices towards the environment and socioeconomic aspect and

3. To recommend good agricultural practices and better technologies for sustainable

agriculture.
I. Introduction

The review article entitled “Sustainable Land Management enhances soil productivity
and profitability the Philippines posted by: UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity on Exposure is a
timely and relevant issue nowadays which happens not just only in the Bukidnon and Leyte
province but also in many parts of the country.This article is a wake up call to mankind
especially for people who ventures into farming industry to be aware and responsible enough in
to their farming practices that is resource conserving while increasing productivity.

Mostly, it is on the land where farmers can grow crops and raise livestock purposely for
food and the market. Each cultivator aims for maximum production for food sufficiency and
sustainability. While the population is exponentially increasing, land for crop production is also
becoming scarce due to land conversion activities, soil nutrient degradation, climate change,
industrialization, deforestation, and many more in which area expansion to increase production is
no longer possible. Soils are the foundation of any food production and many essential
ecosystem services. Healthy soil produces healthy plants and is one of the bases for agricultural
productivity. These are some of the problems that are most pressing and very alarming that need
to be addressed. It has been shown that sustainable soil management contributes to increasing
food production, enhancing the nutrient content of food, and adapting to and mitigating climate
change.

Sustainable land management seems to be the solution to meet changing human needs in
the field of agriculture, forestry, conservation, etc. while ensuring long-term socio-economic and
ecological functions of the land. Land use management helps control the allocation of land for
specific uses. This ensures resources are available for future generations. It minimizes the effect
of economic activities and development on the environment. Through implementations and
interventions to improve sustainable land management practices between climate-resistant and
local farmers will help achieve sustainable development of agriculture and agroforestry.The best
use of available resources also is achievable through organized usage and putting plan into
action.
 One of the most important means to achieve the goals of sustainability when it comes to
production without compromising the environment is to raise awareness about sustainable
farming practices and establish suitable technology that will ensure the attainment of its
productivity. To reach this goal, it is necessary to moderate the use of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides throughout the time and in the meantime increase the soil organic matter by adopting
land management practices.

II. Body

With response to accelerating development in the field of agriculture,it also led to

increasing pressures on the land and the ecosystem as a whole.Exponentially growing
population, weak land use plans, industrialization and unsustainable farming practices,soil
nutrient degradation, climate change, industrialization, deforestation are some of the pressing
problems pertaining to securing food security in the country which brought adverse effects of
unpredictable and extreme climatic conditions are being reproduced more frequently and more
violently particularly in Leyte and Bukidnon.

Population growth

While the population is exponentially increasing, land for crop production is also
becoming scarce.As populations increase and land resources become scarcer, farmers need to
farm more intensively  resulting in land degradation.Higher population density is also associated
with greater demand for food and decreases farm income per hectare.In addition, rapid
population growth can lead to improper agricultural practices that poorly erode soil. Reduce
vegetation,abuse and improper use of pesticides. And it blocks water resource management.The
result of such practice is severe land degradation.

Weak land use plans

One of the key drivers of environmental change is land-use change. It has an impact on
the land's basic resources, especially the soil. Its impact on soil is typically so gradual that land
managers are hesitant to take corrective or compensatory actions. Land degradation has
diminished our ability to produce enough food, and is a severe danger to rural life in many
developing countries. While some places are expanding their crops and grazing, others are
becoming more intense. All agree that there are consequences for the natural systems on which
productivity is dependent. Land use change in the lake basin is very sensitive to erosion and
degradation due to the character of landscapes and geo-morphologic processes. A more rational
approach and framework and principles for sustainable land management, including farming,
grazing, and urbanization, are desperately needed.

Industrialization

Industrialized agriculture has caused land degradation, which is when the environment
changes due to human use and causes a reduction in the overall quality of the land.The rapid
growth of industries as well as population are leaving harmful effects on the human life,
by polluting water and air. The air and water pollution are, thus, the main problems in the
environment. The establishment of more industries increase the major difficulties of degrading
the water and soil.Industrial growth has started to affect the entire environment with its severe
downside problems. The formation of massive pollution making industries are the result of the
constant need and greed of the human being.  These industries include, transportation and
manufacturing, which are  exhausting the earth’s resources, but also causing tremendous stress
on the environment and the ecological system.The impact of industrialization on the
environment has led the way with certain positive and large negative outcomes, with progressive
rates and inventions.This needs to be emphasized with more intensity and feeling as the world is
quietly but surely facing destruction from man-made creation. 

Unsustainable farming practices

Unsustainable farming practices in many parts of the country are causing land resources to
degrade and threatening future food security as well as the livelihoods of poor rural people.New
technologies have really boosted the agricultural production globally, but some have had
negative effects which must be reversed or contained. This includes loss of biodiversity,
resistance of insects against pesticides, land degradation through water erosion or wind and
nutrient depletion.However,there are many already proven soil management practices that can
help farmers adapt to the likely adverse effects of increasing weather variability and climate
change, and that can, in many cases, also reduce agricultural greenhouse gas
emissions .Sustainable farming practices includes measures that are suited to the specific
biophysical and socio-economic conditions in a given area for the protection; promote the
conservation and sustainable use of soil, water and and genetic diversity; and restore or
rehabilitate degraded natural resources and revitalize the ecosystem functions.  The widespread
adoption of these practices has the potential to make a major contribution to the achievement of
national food security and development goals.

Soil nutrient degradation

Land degradation is one of the most serious issues related with industrialized agriculture.
When land changes as a result of human use, the overall quality of the environment suffers. Land
degradation can be caused by industrialized agriculture in a variety of ways, including changes in
soil quality and physical changes to the land.Because the amount of nutrients accessible to plants
reduces over time, industrialized agriculture can result in a deterioration in soil quality. In a
forest, when a plant dies, it decomposes and releases nutrients into the soil for future plants to
use.

Crops are harvested and any residual plant components are removed from the land in
industrialized agriculture. As a result, during harvest, a significant amount of nutrients are
removed from the ground, and nutrients are not restored because decomposable plant debris arise
likewise removed and not allowed to decompose. Reduced soil quality can drastically damage
land by making it less productive and hence producing fewer or less healthy crops.

Physical changes to the land can also be a result of land degradation caused by
industrialized agriculture. Industrial farms with a huge number of animals can radically alter the
physical landscape. When livestock go over the same area repeatedly, they compact the soil,
making it difficult for plants to grow and water to penetrate the ground.If there are too many
animals grazing in one area, the land can become devoid of flora. This can result in erosion,
which occurs when soil components are blown or washed from one site to another. When plants
are harvested and fields are left unprotected, erosion can occur.
 Climate change

Land exhibited to degradation as a consequence of poor land management could become

infertile as a result of climate change. Land degradation hazards included wind and water
erosion, loss of soil carbon, nutrient decline mass movement, soil structure decline, acid sulfate
soils and soil acidification. Increased heat, drought and insect outbreaks, all linked to climate
change, have increased wildfires.Higher temperatures eventually reduce yields of desirable crops
while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. Declining water supplies, reduced agricultural
yields, health impacts in cities due to heat, and flooding and erosion in coastal areas are
additional concerns. Thus, great stewardship of the land is imperative to environmental change
moderation and transformation. Sustainable land management is key to reducing the impacts of
climate change.

Deforestation

Deforestation has been negatively affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity, and the
climate.Multiple factors, either of human or natural origin, cause deforestation. Natural factors
include natural forest fires or parasite-caused diseases which can result in
deforestation.Nevertheless, human activities are among the main causes
of global deforestation.According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the
expansion of agriculture caused nearly 80% of global deforestation, with the construction of
infrastructures such as roads or dams, together with mining activities and urbanization, making
up the remaining causes of deforestation.

Deforestation weakens and degrades the soil. Forested soils are usually not only richer on
organic matter, but also more resistant to erosion, bad weather, and extreme weather events. This
happens mainly because roots help fix trees in the ground and the sun-blocking tree cover helps
the soil to slowly dry out. As a result, deforestation will probably mean the soil will become
increasingly fragile, leaving the area more vulnerable to natural disasters such as landslides and
floods.
III. Conclusion

To recognize better how we will enhance our surroundings while dealing in agricultural
practices, we first want to recognize the worldwide principal issues concerning agricultural
practices.Unsustainable agriculture has in no way, and could in no way be a great exercise for
each the growing and evolved countries. The combat towards unsustainable agriculture be gained
if governments, personal sector, and people play their obligation via way of means of working
towards sustainable act in agricultural process.By adopting sustainable land practices
in agriculture, it will help improve sustainable and climate-resilient land management practices
among local farmers. These interventions contribute to the sustainable development
of agriculture and agroforestry. Furthermore, the adoption of various crops on farms provides a
regular source of income.

IV. Source of Material

https://study.com/academy/lesson/land-degradation-and-habitat-fragmentation-the-
environmental-impacts-of-industrialized-agriculture.html

https://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture-sourcebook/production-resources/module-b7-
soil/chapter-b7-1/zh/

https://www.farmmanagement.pro/popular-unsustainable-techniques-used-in-modern-
agriculture/

http://environmentinsider.com/impact-industrialization-environment/

https://youmatter.world/en/definition/definitions-what-is-definition-deforestation-causes-effects/