Legarda files bill to tackle aging agri-workforce

Senator Loren Legarda has filed Senate Bill No. 518, proposing the creation of the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Council to address the aging workforce and revitalize the agricultural sector with a new generation of agri-entrepreneurs.

“The average age of our farmers is now 53 years old. If this trend continues, we could face a critical shortage of food producers within the next decade, which will threaten our food security," Legarda said.

The four-term senator noted that nearly three out of 10 farmers and fisherfolk still live below the poverty line, making agriculture a less attractive career option for the youth.

“We must act now to make agriculture viable, attractive, and dignified for the youth. SB 518 introduces the Young Farmers and Fisherfolk Challenge Program, a comprehensive initiative for aspiring food producers aged 15 to 40 years old," she emphasized.

The proposed measure includes interventions such as start-up capital and financial support, access to voluntary health, retirement, and calamity insurance, as well as pathways to land ownership, technical training, and inclusive education geared toward sustainable and modern farming careers. It also guarantees youth participation in policymaking and encourages climate-smart and digitally driven agricultural practices.

The program seeks equitable and inclusive participation, with at least 30% of participants being young women, Indigenous youth, residents of coastal barangays, and those from conflict-affected areas.

"We must help in transitioning our industry to the younger members of our workforce, so that new ideas may blossom in a rapidly aging industry," Legarda said.

“We have to break the stigma that agriculture is a last resort. Let us transform agriculture into a sustainable livelihood built on innovation, equity, and resilience as we steer the country toward food security and self-sufficiency,” she concluded.