The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) are strengthening their decades-long partnership to transform agrifood systems and enhance food security in Southeast Asia following a high-level meeting in Manila.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. met with FAO assistant director-general and regional representative for Asia and the Pacific Alue Dohong to align priorities on climate resilience, innovation, and inclusive growth.
“We are not only talking about food security. We are committing to the transformation of agrifood systems through investment, innovation and inclusive growth,” Tiu Laurel said.
The meeting marked more than four decades of collaboration between the Philippines and FAO, which is now evolving to address challenges such as climate change, disease outbreaks and volatile food prices.
Tiu Laurel confirmed the country’s full support for the World Food Forum (WFF) 2025, where the DA will showcase youth-led innovations, agritech solutions, and climate-smart farming, as he emphasized WFF’s role as a platform for public-private partnerships and practical action.
The Philippines also pledged active participation in FAO’s 80th anniversary (FAO80) celebrations through high-level representation, exhibits and events highlighting progress in agriculture, fisheries and rural development.
Acknowledging decades of underinvestment, Tiu Laurel sought FAO’s technical assistance to help the country recover from 27 years of backlog in agricultural development, identifying seaweed, mango, abaca, and bamboo as commodities with high economic and social potential.
“The Philippines wants to move beyond project proposals to implementation pathways, with FAO’s support through normative guidance, technical assistance, and convening power,” Tiu Laurel said.
Both parties agreed to refine the upcoming Country Programming Framework (CPF 2025–2031) to align with the Philippine Development Plan, climate goals and the national food security agenda.
The Philippines will also share expertise on climate resilience, digital agriculture, fisheries, and nutrition at the FAO Regional Conference for Asia and the Pacific (APRC) 2026, and has renewed its offer to host APRC 39 in 2028, supporting its bid to become a regional hub for agrifood innovation and knowledge exchange.
In 2026, the country will also host the Regional Conference on Agricultural Mechanization.
