Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Their Effects on Environmental Quality and Economic Viability in Central Visayas, Philippines

Sustainable environmental practices and food production depend heavily on agricultural techniques. This study aimed to determine the extent to which local farmers adopt sustainable agriculture and to design an agroecological model to support this approach. A non-experimental descriptive correlational research approach was used, involving 70 local farmers in Region VII, Central Visayas. Probability simple random sampling was employed to select participants who engaged in farming practices. The statistical tools used included frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, and the chi-square test of independence. The findings revealed that agricultural practices among the local farmers significantly contributed to achieving sustainable agricultural production in terms of environmental quality. However, these practices were moderately extensive concerning economic sustainability and social viability. Additionally, a significant relationship was found between the extent of adoption of agricultural practices and farmers’ perceptions of these practices’ contributions to agricultural sustainability, including economic sustainability, social viability, and environmental quality. The study concluded that these agricultural methods provided the local farmers with food security, enhanced social welfare, and, to some extent, improved environmental quality. Sustainability and resilience hinge on the collaboration between farmers within the community and the support of both public and private sectors through adequate financial and agricultural mechanisms.