Coffee eyed as climate shield for Bukidnon

LIVELIHOOD SUPPORT Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque (left) checks coffee beans being dried under the sun in a farm in Talakag town. The provincial government is promoting the propagation of Arabica coffee as part of efforts to rehabilitate the province’s uplands and provide livelihood to poor communities. —PHOTO COURTESY OF BUKIDNON PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

MALAYBALAY CITY—The provincial government of Bukidnon is pushing for the widespread propagation of Arabica coffee as a key strategy for climate resilience and ecological restoration.

In the past days, the provincial government held a climate risk assessment in which Arabica coffee farming as livelihood support for poverty-stricken communities figured prominently.

During a recent three-day workshop that focused on “consequence scoring, risk ranking and adaptation options,” Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque emphasized that coffee offers environmental benefits that go beyond income generation for farmers.

“Coffee has a unique environmental advantage. Aside from its economic value, it is a sustainable species for reforestation in our upland ecosystems,” Roque said.

He said planting and nurturing Arabica coffee can help rehabilitate degraded areas within the Mt. Kalatungan and Mt. Kitanglad mountain ranges, while also supporting watershed protection and enhancing biodiversity.

The workshop served as a validation platform for climate risks affecting the Arabica coffee livelihood system and explored adaptive measures to help communities cope with climate-related threats.

The provincial government had set a target of developing 10,000 hectares of coffee farms throughout the province, especially in its deforested upland areas. The scale, according to Roque, will allow local growers to command a far better deal from the market.

Roque said that given its good market prospects, coffee is a sustainable crop to achieve not just economic but also environmental goals.

BENEFITS Coffee, says Bukidnon Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque, offers environmental benefits that go beyond income generation for farmers. —PHOTO COURTESY OF BUKIDNON PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

Support

Bukidnon’s coffee program had attracted the support of, among others, the Global Affairs Canada through its Governance for Climate and Disaster Resilience (Gov-CDR) initiative, and the European Union.

The Gov-CDR program aims to assist communities and local governments in developing systems for disaster risk assessment, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery from climate impacts.

It is being implemented in six provinces nationwide, with Bukidnon among the pilot areas. Localities covered in Bukidnon include the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia, and the municipalities of Lantapan, Libona, Maramag, Manolo Fortich, Quezon, Pangantucan and Talakag.

Provincial officials said the initiative underscored Bukidnon’s efforts to align livelihood development with climate adaptation, positioning Arabica coffee as both an economic driver and a tool for environmental protection.

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