The first phase of the Landcare project operated from July 1999 to June 2004. Funded by the Australian Government through ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research), the project was aimed at developing and evaluating a Landcare approach in upland rural communities at three pilot sites in Mindanao. The three pilot sites were Claveria, Misamis Oriental; Lantapan, Bukidnon; and Ned, South Cotabato. Landcare was evaluated for its impact on adoption of conservation practices and resource degradation, and its relevance as an extension model. The project represented a new direction in better understanding the complex processes of people’s interaction with conservation technologies through Landcare groups and related social processes.The first phase of the project

The project partners in the first phase of the project were the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries - Queensland Government (commissioned agency for the research); three Australian partner agencies (Barung Landcare, University of Queensland, and the Department of Natural Resources and Mines); and two Philippines partners (World Agroforestry Centre - ICRAF, and SEAMEO Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture – SEARCA). The project had a core team of 12 personnel from the partner organisations but more than 20 allied personnel from other projects were intimately involved in site teams or major project programs. Significant amongst these was the complementary Landcare project of the Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion International (AECI) from Spain, which supported Landcare development with personnel and infrastructure at two of the three project sites.

The Landcare approach is described in more detail in What is Landcare? Briefly, it involved specialist "extension" personnel from ICRAF and SEARCA interacting with both local farmers and supporting government agencies/ NGOs to promote greater "grass-roots" ownership of land degradation problems and solutions. While the primary focus was on overcoming land degradation problems like soil erosion, the process involved supporting farmers in a wide range of livelihood improvement strategies that they identified as part of a more sustainable farming future. A key tool used in the program was the formation of village Landcare groups, where sharing of information and experiences amongst farmers was facilitated and encouraged. In order to improve their "reach" and impact, Landcare groups at each site were federated into municipal Landcare Associations. These ultimately evolved into a range of other functions including Farmer Research Committees, Farmer Training Groups, commercial activities and so on.

This first phase of the project was widely regarded as successful, with several significant outcomes and impacts at the three pilot sites. See Results from the first phase of the project.