Analysis of Coffee-Based Cropping Systems in Upland Cavite, Philippines Toward Improved Sustainability

Abstract

The study was conducted to: (1) identify the factors which serve as opportunities to the coffee-based cropping systems that will contribute to the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of the systems; (2) identify external factors which serve as threats to the systems; (3) determine if there exist significant differences in the levels of systems sustainability across the three types of cropping patterns; and (4) recommend improved cropping systems appropriate in upland Cavite that will provide the farmers with higher production efficiency, better profitability, and sustainable systems. The perceptions of the experts were consistent with the results of analysis using the farm level data gathered from the coffee-based farmers. Results of the analysis showed that in all the cropping patterns (municipalities), the economic dimension registered the highest sustainability index implying that farmers consider the economic variables as the major contributors to the sustainability of their farms. Silang farms registered to have the highest sustainability index for economic dimension. Cropping pattern 3 (intercropping coffee with industrial and commercial crops) would appear to be the best cropping system and worth recommending to interested farmers since intercropping coffee with industrial or commercial crops generated more income for the farmers and these intercrops produced the highest value per unit of resource or input used to produce them.