THERE are two threats to the country’s food security, and the government would do well to take decisive action this early. The first threat comes from the extensive damage to agriculture caused by massive floods in the Philippines and other food-producing countries in Southeast Asia.
The other threat to food security is not as immediate, but is no less important. This is the prospect of a shortage of farmers, with the population of agricultural workers now aging, according to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
In a recent report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said Southeast Asia is now facing serious food shortages after massive flooding in the region. It noted that floods have damaged about 12.5 percent of the ricelands in Thailand, 12 percent in Cambodia, 7.5 percent in Laos, 6 percent in the Philippines, and 0.4 percent in Vietnam. The crop losses could trigger as much as a 17-percent rally in rice futures this year, according to experts.
With a possible food shortage that may arise from extensive damage to agriculture, Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile Jr. suggests that the Aquino administration “should not lose time in instituting meaningful reforms in our agricultural sector if we are to protect our people from a potential food crisis.”
The legislator wants President Aquino to certify as urgent the passage of House Bill (HB) 4626 or the Food for Filipinos First Act of 2011, which would put in place much-needed reforms to cushion the effects on the country of declining food supply in the region.
Another proposed measure, HB 2646, will require the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to draft a National Food Requirement Plan to improve planning in sourcing food supplies.
More than this, HB 2646 seeks to correct organizational dysfunction at the National Food Authority (NFA), which currently acts as procurer and regulator at the same time. It likewise directs the DA, DTI and the Department of Public Works and Highways to come up with an “agricultural-infrastructure support map” to serve as basis for the allocation of funds intended for agricultural-infrastructure support. It will also allow accredited farmers cooperatives and organizations to use government irrigation facilities for free, as well as give them access to low-interest credit.
Reduced food production from widespread flooding is not the only threat to food security. Tesda Director General Joel Villanueva points out that the country needs to create a steady pool of workers in the agriculture sector, considering that the average age of our farmers is around 50 years old. But he give assurances that the agency has various courses in place that can hone the skills of Filipinos in farming and other agricultural activities.
According to the 1996 World Food Summit, “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
From where we sit, ensuring food security requires extending full government support to agriculture. Apart from targeted programs for enhancing direct and immediate access to food for the most needy, the government needs to improve rural food production especially by small-scale farmers, invest in rural infrastructure, enhance access to land and other assets and strengthen rural financial systems. In other words, there should be a comprehensive and integrated program for sustainable agricultural and rural development.
