In-Depth Environmental and Social Sustainability Assessment of Tobacco-Growing Communities in Luzon, Philippines

Project overview

Work shaped by place and purpose.

Galerio Environmental Consultancy Inc. (GECI), working closely with the twentyfifty team, supported an In-Depth Assessment (IDA) of selected tobacco-growing areas and communities in Luzon, Philippines. The assessment examined the effectiveness of sustainability-related initiatives implemented within tobacco-growing communities, with particular attention to four core areas: climate change, human and labor rights, biodiversity, and water quality. The study involved interviews and discussions with a broad range of stakeholders, including landowners, workers, suppliers, service providers, tobacco growers, grower workers, members of tobacco-growing communities, non-growing community members, and government bodies. The assessment adopted a stakeholder-centered research approach to understand local experiences, perspectives, and the perceived effectiveness of existing initiatives. Interview questions and research methods were developed to explore these focus areas, while allowing researchers to probe further, clarify responses, and reframe questions where necessary to obtain meaningful information. Through this collaboration, GECI contributed field-based research and stakeholder engagement support to the assessment of environmental and social sustainability initiatives in selected agricultural communities.