Mr Marcelino Patindol

Marcelino Patindol from Claveria is the President, Board of Trustees, of the Landcare Foundation of the Philippines Inc. and his farm is a demonstration of landcare’s success.Marcelino Patindol from Claveria is the President, Board of Trustees of the Landcare Foundation of the Philippines Inc. and his farm is a demonstration of landcare’s success.

Back in 1990 his farm was barren, with poor vegetation cover of Imperata grass and wild fern. He had started cultivating the land in 1992, but after 2 years had a very discouraging yield that couldn’t even feed his family.

Marcelino attended a forum organised by the World Agroforestry Centre in 1993. The farmer group continued to work with researchers, sharing their experiences of how the technologies were working on their farms.

'We learned about conservation farming— natural vegetative strips, minimum tillage and agroforestry. I found that agroforestry was a good fit for the undulating area of my farm.

'After 3 years, the group decided to form a farmer organisation. We looked for a name to call ourselves. I liked the word “landcare” because we all understood “land” and “care”. It was a complete accident that we had used the same word as Australia.

'Now on my farm, the Imperata grassland has been replaced by a forest of timber and fruit trees. The soil is now fertile and spring water is flowing from my forest and serving my farm and my household. I owe this to landcare!'

Marcelino Patindol, a farmer from Claveria in Northern Mindanao. [Photographer: Econnect]