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HOW CAN WE FIX OUR BROKEN VALUE CHAIN IN OUR AGRICULTURE?

HOW CAN WE FIX OUR BROKEN VALUE CHAIN IN OUR AGRICULTURE? During Rome Nutrition Week 2026, IFAD President Álvaro Lario made a statement that every policymaker in the Philippines should carefully study. He reminded the world that nutrition starts long before food reaches the dining table. It starts with farmers who have access to quality inputs, adequate financing, functioning value chains, reliable infrastructure, and markets that fairly reward their hard work. Everything that Lario said applies directly to the Philippines. At the risk of stating the obvious, nutrition depends on agriculture. Without farmers, there is no food. Without food, there is no nutrition. The question is: Does our government recognize that our agricultural value chain is badly broken? Or are we pretending that the problem will somehow solve itself? The Department of Agriculture cannot fix this alone. What we need is a whole-of-government—and perhaps even a whole-of-nation—approach. Agriculture involves roads, i...
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HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME GARDENS BECOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY

HOW TO MAKE YOUR HOME GARDENS BECOME MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY If you have a home garden, no matter how small it is, there are many things that you can do to make it more environmentally friendly. At the risk of stating the obvious, your garden is part of the environment, and whatever you do inside it will eventually affect the community around you. Many people believe they can do whatever they want with their own gardens. That is true, but what if your garden could also improve air quality, strengthen biodiversity, and even contribute to food security? One simple way is to plant native flowering species that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Scientists estimate that pollinators support more than one-third of global food production. By providing food and shelter for these beneficial insects, your backyard becomes part of a larger ecological corridor that also benefits nearby fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and farms. On the other hand, excessive use of chemical fert...
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WHY A FOOD-SUPPLY SHOCK IS REAL AND WHY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WAKE UP TO IT

WHY A FOOD-SUPPLY SHOCK IS REAL AND WHY THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WAKE UP TO IT A food-supply shock in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, is now being forecast by Goldman Sachs. This is not mere speculation. It comes from one of the world's most respected investment research institutions, and that alone should be enough reason for our government to pay serious attention. The question is: Has the Department of Agriculture (DA) already informed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. about this looming threat? If it has, what concrete measures are now being implemented? If not, why not? According to Goldman Sachs, the Philippines is among the countries most vulnerable because we are a net food importer. Worse, food already consumes almost half of the budget of many low-income Filipino families. If global food prices rise because of higher oil prices, more expensive fertilizers, and the expected El Niño later this year, ordinary Filipinos will suffer the most. This is what economists ca...
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WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF INTERCROPPING?

  WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF INTERCROPPING? Intercropping is actually common sense, but it seems that common sense is no longer so common. Long before modern agriculture became dependent on monocropping, our farmers already knew that growing different crops together was a practical way to maximize land, reduce risks, and increase income. Take the example of coconuts and cacao. There is really no need to argue which should be the primary crop because they naturally complement each other. Coconut trees provide the partial shade that cacao requires, while both crops generate long-term income. Instead of competing, they work together. The same principle applies to cacao and madre de cacao, better known as kakawate, which is commonly planted as a shade tree. However, coconut palms could be an even more productive alternative because they also produce a valuable commercial crop. The success of intercropping should not be measured merely by harvest volume but by the Land Equivalent Rat...
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WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF GROWING PALM OIL?

WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF GROWING PALM OIL? Did the Philippines stop planting oil palm? That seems to be the popular perception, but it is not entirely accurate. Oil palm plantations still exist, particularly in Mindanao, but it is fair to say that the industry's growth has been slower than many had hoped. The question now is not whether we stopped planting palm oil. The real question is whether we should prioritize it. I believe that we should seriously consider doing so, especially if we are sincere about achieving energy security and reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels. Palm oil is one of the world's most productive oil crops. While coconut typically produces less than one ton of oil per hectare, oil palm can produce four to six times more. That productivity explains why neighboring countries have embraced it. Take Indonesia as an example. By July 2026, it is implementing its B50 biodiesel program, blending 50 percent palm-based fuel with diesel. The Indones...
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HOW DO WE GO FROM FOOD SECURITY TO FOOD SOVEREIGNTY?

HOW DO WE GO FROM FOOD SECURITY TO FOOD SOVEREIGNTY? When we talk about food security, we usually mean making sure that everyone has enough food to eat. That is a worthy goal, but I believe we should aim higher. If food security is kindergarten, then food sovereignty is college. Food security asks, "Do we have enough food?" Food sovereignty asks, "Can we control our own food system?" The difference is enormous. A country can be food secure today because it can afford to import food. But what happens tomorrow if exporting countries decide to restrict supplies? What happens if geopolitical tensions, climate disasters, wars, or trade disputes disrupt global markets? That is where food sovereignty comes in. Food sovereignty means that people, communities, and nations have the right and the capacity to define their own food and agricultural systems. It is not just about calories. It is about economic power, political independence, cultural identity, and national resilien...
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IS PESTICIDE-FREE FARMING POSSIBLE?

IS PESTICIDE-FREE FARMING POSSIBLE? The jury might still be out on this question, but I have already reached my own verdict: yes, pesticide-free farming is possible. To be clear, I am not advocating the total annihilation of the pesticide industry overnight. What I am looking for is equilibrium—a word that has become one of my favorites. As a political science graduate, I learned that lasting peace often comes from balance. As a former Foreign Service Officer, I learned that successful negotiations are those where both sides walk away "half-happy." Perhaps the same principle can apply to agriculture. For decades, Filipino farmers have been told that they cannot produce enough food without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Many accepted this as unquestionable truth. Yet growing evidence suggests otherwise. A groundbreaking 10-year study conducted by France's National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) demonstrated that pesticide-free farming is not ...
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