This book records the emergence and institutionalization of social inequality in San Jose, a pioneer farming village located on Palawan Island in the Philippines. Early chapters reconstruct the historical circumstances surrounding San Jose's settlement and growth under conditions of relative equality of opportunity. The community's development is examined in detail through the experiences of eight migrant farmers, all self-made men some conspicuous successes, others conspicuous failures. Comparing and evaluating the causes of pioneers' successes and failures, Professor Eder stresses that the origins of inequality in San Jose depended less upon the individuals' time of arrival or amounts of starting capital or other such factors than it did upon personal differences. Social inequality, for the most part, had its basis in a level of motivation and in a kind of 'on-the-job competence' that some men and women brought to the frontier and others did not.

Rainforests are rapidly being cleared in the humid tropics to keep pace with food demands, economic needs, and population growth. Without proper management, these forests and other natural resources will be seriously depleted within the next 50 years. Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment in the Humid Tropics provides critically needed direction for developing strategies that both mitigate land degradation, deforestation, and biological resource losses and help the economic status of tropical countries through promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. The book includes: A practical discussion of 12 major land use options for boosting food production and enhancing local economies while protecting the natural resource base. Recommendations for developing technologies needed for sustainable agriculture. A strategy for changing policies that discourage conserving and managing natural resources and biodiversity. Detailed reports on agriculture and deforestation in seven tropical countries.

This paper offers an overview toward assessing the implementation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) or Republic Act 8435, the country's landmark legislation on the sustainable and equitable development of its agriculture and fisheries. The study presents a Theory of Change implicit in the AFMA, and reviews the Philippines' agricultural development trends, within an overall economic context of structural change. It concludes with a synthesis of past AFMA program reviews.