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Date released
06 May 2025

From a street vendor selling balut (a Filipino street food), ice popsicles and newspapers, to a scientist briefing the President of the Philippines about soil science, Dr Johnvie Goloran has come a long way.  

Dr Goloran is originally from one of the remote indigenous farming communities in the province of Agusan del Sur in southern Philippines. The eldest of nine, he was helping his grandfather and father in rice farming even at a young age. This was how his love and passion for agriculture began. 

Man crouching down at the base of a tree.
Dr Johnvie Goloran conducts trials in a rubber plantation in Mindanao, Philippines.

Humble beginnings 

‘Life was hard. Our community constantly gets flooded which affects our harvest and therefore our income. Even going to school was difficult – I had to walk at least 5 kilometres one way, sometimes in muddy waters, just to get to and from school,’ recalled Dr Goloran.   

Dr Goloran left his hometown to seek better education and income opportunities in the province’s main trading centre. As a student, he supported himself by selling street food, ice popsicles and newspapers during the day, and going to night classes.  

Despite the hardship, he graduated from secondary school as the class valedictorian. He secured a scholarship from the provincial government to study agroforestry in college at the state-owned Caraga State University in the province of Agusan del Norte.  

‘At that time, people were discouraging me to take up an agriculture-related course, saying I should instead study engineering or biology. But my heart was really in agriculture,’ said Dr Goloran.  

‘Agusan del Sur is rich in natural resources but I couldn’t understand why there were so many people living in poverty. I thought that there should be a better way of farming, where tree plantations and crops can co-exist and be productive.’

 

Life-changing experiences  

After graduating with honours from college, Dr Goloran went on to work for the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur as an economic researcher in agriculture and forestry.  

The province of Agusan del Sur has been a long-time development partner of the Australian Government in the Philippines. As part of a targeted capacity development program between the province and the Australian Government through Australia Awards, Dr Goloran was selected to take up a postgraduate diploma program in environmental and natural resources management at the University of Queensland in Australia in 2006.   

‘That was an experience of many firsts – first trip out of the province and then out of the country. I was very excited,’ said Dr Goloran. ‘I really value the experiences I gained from studying in Australia, immersing myself in a new culture and environment and working alongside leading experts in my field.’ My learnings in Australia helped me to contribute significantly to the crafting of the province’s environmental code.’ 

Group of people standing in front of banners in conversation.
Dr Johnvie Goloran (left) briefs Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on the outcomes of ACIAR research, the state-of-the-art soils laboratory of the Provincial Government of Agusan del Sur and how this facility will provide information and services to help farmers improve soil health, increase crop yield, and earn income.
Group of men standing in a row on a stone wall.
Dr Johnvie Goloran (3rd from left) with his friends at the University of Queensland.
Dr Johnvie Goloran (centre) conducts soil survey with the project team in Mindanao, Philippines.
Man in white lab coat sitting at a desk of scientific equipment
Dr Johnvie Goloran in a laboratory at Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

‘What is wrong with the soil?’ 

Dr Goloran went back to Agusan del Sur after one year and started developing an eco-tourism framework for the province. Though heavily involved in provincial development planning, Dr Goloran knew that there was still a gap in enhancing the province’s agricultural productivity.  

‘My grandfather kept saying something that has stuck with me since I was young – what is wrong with the soil?’ recalled Dr Goloran. 

He said that there must be something wrong with the soil because they were still applying their traditional and indigenous farming practices and yet their harvests were declining year after year. This motivated me to study soil science – I wanted to better understand what the issues are and what can be done to improve the farm yields.

Knowing about the excellent education and expertise in Australia, Dr Goloran successfully applied for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Soil Science in 2010 through the Griffith University’s Postgraduate Research Scholarships. 

Dr Goloran and his supervisor at Griffith University, Dr Chengrong Chen, conceptualised a research project that would develop a rubber-based cropping system to simultaneously increase smallholder farmers’ income via crop diversification and improve soil nutrient management. 

In 2018, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) provided funding support to the project. It has since led innovations and generated data on land suitability and soil test-based fertilisation for key crops to assist in agricultural planning and development.  

Rubber-based cropping systems have been successfully established in Agusan del Sur which demonstrate that cash crops and perennial crops can be productively grown with rubber trees. The project has demonstrated that science-based agronomic practices can boost food and income security for smallholder farmers.  

The project’s research outcomes are now informing science-based policymaking in the Philippines, with Philippine government leaders and policymakers are developing a national soil health strategy for the country.  In fact, Dr Goloran led a briefing for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr when he visited Agusan del Sur in early 2024. ‘On the aspect of soil science, I can see and feel the thirst for knowledge in this field – from policymakers, government leaders, farmers, and communities.’ 

Science for development 

Dr Goloran has just joined ACIAR this month as Research Project Manager for Soil and Land Management in May 2025, bringing with him first-hand experience about how ACIAR’s investment in research for development and capacity development makes a difference. 

‘I’m a development advocate who happens to have a strong interest in and love for science. I firmly believe that we have to combine science and development perspectives. Sometimes you don’t really see the impact of what you’re doing in a laboratory setting… you don’t see how science actually impacts on people’s lives until you go out there to the communities.’

A group of people planting a tree together.
Johnvie (far right) working on the rubber-based cropping systems project in the Philippines.

‘In my new role managing ACIAR's Soil and Land Management program, I'm excited to leverage my professional experiences as a soil scientist and my passion for development. I have been working with smallholder farmers for over two decades, and have seen firsthand their expertise and intimate knowledge of what they grow and how they manage their farms. Many farmers still have a limited understanding of their soils – the very foundation of their agricultural livelihoods,’ said Dr Goloran. ‘I'm looking forward to working with scientists, country partners, and stakeholders to bridge this critical knowledge gap and help empower farmers with the knowledge and capacities to manage their soil resources sustainably, enhance their agricultural productivity, and improve their livelihoods.’ 

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