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Abstract
Sustainable agriculture in tropical countries faces pressures from climate change, biodiversity loss, and rising food demands. PLANTdex, a tool developed by Jwaideh and Dalin (2025) that measures the environmental impacts of crops like sugarcane and oil palm, shows that sugarcane has a smaller environmental footprint in high-yield areas. PLANTdex requires adaptation to fit the environmental, social, and policy conditions of tropical nations, creating an opportunity to make it more useful for tropical farming systems where small farms, biodiversity hotspots, and climate risks converge. This study proposes a local adaptation framework for PLANTdex that integrates climate, biodiversity, and social data to make it relevant for sustainable farming decisions in tropical systems. The framework brings together global research, national farming statistics, and illustrative examples from the Philippines and other tropical countries, incorporating: (1) local climate and biodiversity data such as typhoon patterns and native species, (2) social indicators including farmer incomes, land rights, and technology access, (3) waste management innovations and agroecological practices, and (4) alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 2, 12, 15). An adapted PLANTdex enables better crop location planning, improved soil and water management, reduced environmental harm, and improved farmer livelihoods. Philippine sugarcane and oil palm serve as illustrative examples demonstrating potential for guiding farm expansion away from biodiversity hotspots, adopting waste-to-energy innovations, and promoting fair land policies. This approach connects global sustainability measures with local realities, helping policymakers, farmers, and educators make better decisions while advancing sustainable agriculture, protecting ecosystems, and supporting interdisciplinary education. The framework addresses data gaps in tropical farming planning and provides a replicable model for other tropical countries facing similar challenges. Empirical validation through pilot implementation and stakeholder engagement remains necessary to confirm the framework’s practical utility and cost-effectiveness.