ABSTRACT
A discussion about the development and importance of the concept of sustainability of resource use, and its global and theoretical relevance today, was presented in Chapter 1 of this book. The problem of soil degradation in the Philippines’ uplands was then discussed in the context of sustainable development. Some tentative hypotheses about the reasons for non-adoption of known soil conservation practices were proposed. These related to the influence of land tenure on efficient resource use, the influence of the system of credit and loan arrangements on farmers’ borrowing patterns, and the influence of cropping patterns on land degradation and farmer decision making. It was hypothesised that the overall constraint on farmer decision making was poverty and debt, and that these factors influenced most other issues which affected the day-today life of the farmers.
