INTRODUCTION - The LIFE Model: Improving the Methods and Impacts of Agricultural Extension in Conflict Vulnerable Areas of Mindanao, Southern Philippines

A project entitled "Improving the methods and impacts of agricultural extension in conict areas of Mindanao, Philippines” commenced in late 2013 and scheduled to conclude in 2019. Key project partners include the Landcare Foundation of the Philippines Inc. (LFPI); the University of the Philippines Mindanao (UPMin); the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB); and the RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia. The project is primarily funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). The Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has also had a close association with the project and are funding an expanded set of activities overseen by UPMin. This paper introduces the aim and objectives of the project. Subsequent papers present detailed background material and a series of project results to date