Indigenous agroforestry in a changing context: The case of the Erumanen ne Menuvu in Southern Philippines

Abstract

Research on indigenous agroforestry, especially its role in enhancing food security among the indigenous peoples confronted with degraded environments and market forces, is of paramount importance. Employing qualitative research methods, this study documents the pengengewiran, a type of indigenous agroforestry system practiced by the Erumanen ne Menuvu, an indigenous group in Southern Philippines. Based on existing form of classification, the study revealed that pengengewiran is an “integral” form of swidden system which is also a type of agroforestry. Further analysis of the data showed that the Erumanens' adherence to the customary practice of pengengewiran is influenced by existing communal resources, social relations, and high regard for deities. On the other hand, recent changes in their farming practices, including the shortening of fallow period and the incorporation of lowland rice into indigenous farming system, are attributed to the changing ecological condition of the uplands and the socio-economic process upon which they are embedded. The paper contends that socio-economic and environmental factors trigger changes in indigenous agroforestry practices and these dynamics have to be understood and better appreciated if just and effective policies and programs on forest resource management are to be crafted.