Food security under strain, Philippines tells FAO

The Philippines has sounded the alarm on rising threats to food security across Asia-Pacific, warning that geopolitical tensions and global supply disruptions are already pushing up the cost of farm inputs and weakening agricultural resilience in developing economies.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. raised the concern during the Ministerial Segment of the 38th Session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Asia-Pacific Regional Conference in Brunei Darussalam, where officials from 46 member states are tackling food systems, trade stability, and climate risks.

“We meet at a moment when geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have posed additional risks to global economic and food security through disruptions in oil, gas, and fertilizer exports, which have already triggered price hikes,” Tiu Laurel said, stressing the immediate impact of global instability on agriculture-dependent countries.

The Philippines, alongside Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia, had pushed for the inclusion of Middle East conflict-related food security risks in the conference agenda, citing concerns over tighter supplies of fuel and fertilizers.

Officials warned that higher global energy prices are directly feeding into agricultural production costs, particularly for fertilizers and transport, which remain critical inputs for food systems across the region.

For the Philippines, the Department of Agriculture noted that elevated fertilizer prices are especially challenging during peak planting seasons, while higher fuel costs continue to raise logistics expenses in an archipelagic setting where food transport is heavily dependent on shipping and land distribution networks.

Fishing operations have also been affected, with rising fuel costs reducing activity levels, while basic commodity prices remain under pressure from sustained input inflation.

These external shocks are being compounded by climate-related risks, including the possibility of a stronger El Niño event, which could further strain water availability and crop production in the coming months.