Fisheries, agriculture and forestry play a critical role in supporting the livelihoods of many communities in the Philippines. The government and the development community recognize the potential of aquatic agricultural systems to reduce poverty; however, a clearer understanding of the complexities of these systems and the communities who depend on them is needed to harness their full value. In response to this need, the Aquatic Agriculture Systems Capacity Building Project aims to enhance the capacities of the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR) and Philippine research partners in understanding aquatic agricultural systems and their development challenges.