The Philippines Calls for Global and Regional Collaboration in Agricultural Sector

The Philippines is seeking to improve the international and regional collaboration in its agricultural sector to establish a more sustainable food system. 

In a virtual meeting on Monday, July 19, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar encouraged five other Asian agriculture ministers to collaborate and strive to achieve desired goals that could initiate a transformative change in their respective counties. 

Dar stated, “We acknowledge that our countries are confronted with similar challenges to our agriculture sector and food systems.”

He added, “Thus, we fully support any international or regional collaboration and initiatives that will result in increased agricultural productivity, competitiveness, and profitability while taking into account sustainability and resilience for our agriculture smallholders.”

Dar disclosed that the Philippines recently concluded its National Food Systems Dialogue and will share its insights and recommendations during the United Nations Food Systems (UNFS) pre-summit on July 26, in Rome, Italy.

DA will also present the Philippine Food Systems Dialogue at the New York UNFS Summit in September. 

Dar expressed, “Your Excellencies, we are confident that by the end of the UNFS Summit, we will gain more commitments and solutions in our hands. It is incumbent upon us to carefully scrutinize all of these and draw deeply as we jointly work to build a better world — where agricultural production and food systems are sustainable and resilient, and our citizens enjoy affordable, safe, and nutritious food.”

In a joint statement, the participating ministers emphasized the importance of such collaborations to achieve a balance between productivity and environmental protection. 

The ministers shared, “As countries belonging to the Monsoon Asia region, we share several regional particularities with regards to agricultural production, including distinctive climate conditions such as high humidity and high temperature, high abundance of paddy fields, and a high percentage of small and medium-sized farmers.”

Dar, along with his ASEAN counterparts, will share their thoughts on improving the ASEAN agricultural sector during the UNFS Pre-Summit on July 26, in Rome, Italy.