Sustainable, resilient agriculture gets boost

Sustainable, resilient agriculture gets boost | Daily Tribune

The Climate Change Commission (CCC) echoed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call to boost sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture in the country during the inauguration program of the Calamansi Processing Center (CPC) and Provincial Agriculture Center (PAC) of Oriental Mindoro.

The provincial government of Oriental Mindoro, with support from the Department of Trade and Industry and the CCC, established the CPC and PAC to stimulate and foster growth of sustainable food production and processing industry in the province. The projects are fully funded by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the Korean International Cooperation Agency as part of their Climate Resilient and Inclusive Green Growth Project.

In his last official visit to the United States last May 2023, Marcos committed his utmost effort to boost climate-smart agriculture in the Philippines, institutionalizing a ministerial-level study group to advance the matter.

Months following the visit, the president directed the Department of Agriculture to urgently modernize agriculture and ensure food security for Filipinos through science-based agri practices.

On a more recent note, Marcos also welcomed former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, president of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of Global Green Growth Institute, last February and reinforce GGGI financial and technical interventions towards building climate resiliency in the country.

GGGI’s current notable area of work in the country includes boosting climate-smart agriculture and food production which fueled the establishment of the CPC and PAC.

In support of Marcos’ initiatives and recognizing the threats that climate change poses to national food production, agriculture and livestock, the CCC highlighted the urgency of supporting the development of climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture across the archipelago through research, development, investments, policies and projects.

“Many Filipinos work in the agriculture sector. One in every four Filipinos, or over 10 million people, depend entirely on agriculture to support themselves and their families. Climate change-induced disasters such as extreme droughts and tropical cyclones, threaten their livelihoods. In the first quarter of this year alone, agricultural losses have already doubled our initial farmer support funds of PHP10 billion. This underscores the critical importance of the agricultural sector,” said CCC vice chairperson and executive director Robert E.A. Borje in his message of support.

Food security amid climate change is included as one of the sectoral outcomes in the draft National Adaptation Plan of the Philippines. It entails mechanisms that ensure the climate-proofing of the Philippine agriculture sector by empowering farmers to use climate information and services and climate-benign technologies to enable sustainable food production.

In response to the president’s call for a climate-smart agriculture sector, the CCC is committed to build the capacity of farming communities and cooperatives to adapt to the devastating effects of climate change.

By forming partnerships with international, local and private organizations, and through the implementation of robust green policies and projects, the CCC aims to further strengthen policy framework and create an enabling environment for a climate-smart and climate-resilient agriculture industry in the Philippines.