Draft as of 21 September 2021

PHILIPPINES FOOD SYSTEMS TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY

The Philippines fully supports the ambition and effort of the United Nations Food Systems Summit to launch bold
new actions and solutions, leveraging on healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food systems towards
the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The food systems and the achievement of the
SDGs deal with the dynamics of the rural and urban agriculture development and food value chain. This
encompasses the whole range of activities across environment, people, inputs, processes, infrastructure, and
institutions. Transforming food systems involves interlinked activities that relate to food production and utilization
(harvesting, packing, processing, transport, marketing, nutritious food consumption, and food remains disposal),
and builds on socio-economic and environmental outcomes.

This pathway document aims to provide an overview of the current Philippine food systems and present strategic
areas and partnership and governance mechanisms that have been agreed upon during various multi-
stakeholder food systems dialogues. It targets to develop a cohesive, inclusive, dynamic, and collaborative
approach that cuts across various industries and concepts towards transforming the Philippine food system into
one that shapes a healthier, more competitive, gender-inclusive, and climate-positive nation, and harnesses
sustainable resources. It is anchored on a belief that in building back better, there is a need for a people-centered
recovery that focuses on well-being, improves inclusiveness, and reduces inequality.

CURRENT FOOD SYSTEMS OF THE PHILIPPINES

The current food systems in the Philippines focus on production of commodities, supported by high productivity-
oriented policies and technological development. Likewise, it is centered on empowering individuals, farming
families, and agrarian communities towards creating a market surplus of staple commodities. It is managed in an
attempt to secure domestic self-sufficiency and nutritional programs that are targeted beyond the lower
socioeconomic groups and prioritize responsible food production, consumption, and utilization of nutritious foods.

However, the food systems dialogues stressed that addressing food production alone will not resolve the complex
concerns faced by the Filipinos. As stated in the updated Philippine Development Plan, the performance of the
agriculture, food and fishery (AFF) sector in the last three years has been weak due to climate/weather
disturbances, pest and animal diseases, weak global demand, and increased competition resulting in the
decrease in value of top exports (e.g., coconut), and weak coordination and convergence efforts among
government agencies and stakeholders. Despite prioritizing the access, availability, affordability, and stability
dimensions of food security, agricultural production decreased by 1.2% in the first quarter of 2020, increased by
0.5% in the second quarter, increased 0.7% in the third quarter, and declined at 3.8% in the last quarter of 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in community quarantines also affected agricultural activities. Farmers,
fisherfolks, and individuals residing in rural areas, where land tenure is disrupted, posted the highest poverty
incidences among the basic sectors at 31.6, 26.2, and 24.5 percent, respectively. Moreover, safe and nutritious
food in the Philippines are usually expensive, making them inaccessible to low-income families, whose livelihoods
and source of income have been disrupted by the pandemic, which has exposed the vulnerabilities of the
country’s food supply chain and heightened concerns on food safety. Making things more complicated are the
systemic nature of risks, effects of various natural hazards, and onslaught of calamities that destroy lives and
livelihoods especially in the most vulnerable parts of the country.

Based on recent reports, Filipino households who are engaged in agriculture are more vulnerable to food
insecurity with 39.8% being moderately food insecure and 17.5% being severely food insecure (FNRI-DOST,
2018-2019). In 2020, the Rapid Nutrition Assessment Survey (RNAS) revealed that 62.1% of the surveyed
households experienced moderate or severe food insecurity which is 21.9 percentage points higher than 2019
levels of 40.29% (DOST-FNRI, 2020). Stunting among children below 2 years of age is recorded at 21.9% based
on the 2019 Expanded NNS (FNRI-DOST). Stunting is a manifestation of chronic hunger or long period of food
deprivation. Wasting among the same age group is recorded at 7%, based on the same survey. In the last 15
years, little progress has been made to reduce stunting despite registered good economic growth.

The top causes of disease burden in the Philippines are non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which are
increasing among the poor (PIDS, 2020). According to WHO, NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke,
cancer, and chronic diseases that affect the airways and lungs, take almost 300,000 lives in the Philippines every
year. There is also an increasing NCD risk factors such as overweight and obesity that stem from unhealthy
dietary patterns as observed in scientific studies. The country has shown slow progress towards fighting obesity,
with an estimated 9.0% of adults (aged 18 years and over) living with obesity. Among Filipino adolescents,
overweight has tripled in the last 15 years. There is a higher rate of overweight and obese children in urban areas
than in rural areas and higher prevalence of several risk factors and environmental conditions could rapidly
increase the rates.

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A report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) summarized the challenges
facing the food systems, which include (a) ensuring food security and nutrition for the growing population, (b)
provision of adequate income and livelihoods to millions of production and processing workers, and (c) achieving
sustainable development (reduction of greenhouse gas emission, and climate change adaptation and mitigation).
An issue paper developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization in preparation for the national food systems
dialogue also identified various challenges faced by the Philippines’ food systems covering issues on agriculture
and production, food safety, social protection, health and nutrition, and climate change and the environment. The
interlinking of sustainable and climate-smart food systems, land security, and improved nutrition in the Philippines
indeed remains as a tough journey.

However, it is worth noting that while the COVID-19 pandemic and natural calamities are ravaging the country,
the Philippine agriculture sector, especially with the empowered agrarian communities, rose to the occasion and
kept the country’s economy afloat with the steady and affordable food supply for the population. In terms of
protecting social justice and respect for workers’ rights, the Department of Labor and Employment proceeds with
its COVID 19 related issuances and continuously updates the Labor Code of the Philippines towards creating an
enabling environment that promotes fundamental principles and rights at work Compliance to labor laws is being
monitored through the DOLE’s enforcement mechanism.

CONCEPTUAL APPROACH FOR THE PHILIPPINES TRANSFORMATION PATHWAY

The diagram below shows a conceptual framework that goes beyond the myopic approaches to solving food
security, sustainability, and nutrition challenges. This conceptual framework describes how the principles bring
about enabling factors to deliver the various goods and services to every Filipino, bringing the results where they
would happen most. While pictured as a linear conceptualization, the working interface commands a high level
of behaviorism, collaborations, and governance to result in an efficient, competitive, inclusive, climate-positive,
and resilient food system.

The agro-food systems comprise different segments and actors at the individual level, their organizations, and
the societal level. These are the basic units that will animate the principles into an experiential reality with food
systems binding humanity that seeks a good quality of life for all people and well-managed natural resources.

The coherence of policies, impact investments, and strong institutions are the embodiment of how food systems
will nourish people, transform societies, and sustain peace and prosperity across humanity. Inclusive growth
through adequate support services administered through a universal food value chain system shapes the future
the Filipinos envision and is captured in this pathway document.

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SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS OF THE PHILIPPINES BY 2030

The series of multi-stakeholder dialogues and consultation sessions arrived at a number of outputs that lead to
a unified goal of a transformed Philippine food systems. These key result areas are aligned with the UNFSS
Action tracks, evidencing the country’s commitment to contribute to global goals and efforts.

Based on these exchanges, relevant resources, and global discussions, a Theory of Change has been developed
to guide the overall strategies towards Philippine food system transformation. The outputs were identified based
on the agreements during the national and subnational dialogues on what need to be prioritized to effect positive
changes by 2030, with the understanding that even slight yet strategic and coordinated shifts to policies and
platforms could lead to transformative changes.

THEORY OF CHANGE

Overall, the following are the strategic interventions that need to be prioritized and fleshed out to ensure that by
2030, the country’s natural resources are made sustainable and that no Filipino will be hungry and be in extreme
poverty. Outside all these solution areas and recommendations, pathways would be gender responsive and
inclusive, and a targeted, multi-pronged, and holistic approach to developing and managing interventions would
be adopted.

● Ensure access to safe and nutritious food.

○ Engage youth and women in food systems: This will require the passing and effective
implementation of the Magna Carta for Young Farmers and Magna Carta of Women, and
improving programs that incentivize youth and women participation in food systems.
○ Compensate the farmers properly: This can be undertaken through market linkage, farmer
clustering, improved social protection programs for landless farmers and impoverished fishers,
strengthened engagement with LGUs for technical support to farmers and fishers, speedy
implementation of the Agrarian Reform Law through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP), and concrete and sustainable market tax and financial policies. Other
suggestions were to encourage and promote agro-ecological, biodiverse practices in farms,
fisheries and forests, and cultivate and promote traditional, local, neglected and underutilized
but nutritious and resilient crops.
○ Mitigate post-harvest losses and food wastage: The action items are: establish strategic post-
harvest facilities and infrastructure, review of permit application cycle to encourage private sector
to invest, and incentivize and maximize the collection and utilization of organic waste.
○ Enhance the capacity of the public to secure safe and nutritious food: This will cover public
awareness campaigns on food systems and promotion of nutritious foods, enforcements of the
existing policies (such as the First 1000 Days Law, Milk Code, Bio-fortification, Food Fortification
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Law, National Feeding Program, Food Safety Act, and the Conditional Cash Transfer and other
social protection programs), and inclusion of fresh produce in food relief packs.
○ Provide equitable and sustainable food production: This will be around strengthening food,
nutrition, and agricultural policies, programs, and fair-trade relations at all levels, integration of
population programs in food systems-related development activities, local peace making and
development, and implementation of the Organic Act. This also includes enforcing international-
level standards and quarantine measures for imported food and on local producers by trading
partners, promoting LGU support through the allocation of at least 10% of their National Tax
Allotment to agriculture and fisheries, and including demand-driven agriculture and fisheries in
the government strategies. Also, this ensures the continuous effective collaborations between
the agriculture and health sectors in food regulations and implementation of food safety
measures in accordance to the Food Safety Act of 2013.

● Shift to healthy and sustainable consumption patterns

○ Enable and motivate people to enjoy healthy and sustainable options: There would be increased
responsible consumer education and promotions on nutrition-seeking behavior, empowerment
of farmers to produce healthier crops, pursuance of policies that patronize locally produced food
products, improvements in access to healthy foods, and strengthened enforcement, and
monitoring and evaluation of policies on nutrition and food safety.
○ Slash food losses and waste: This targets to improve post-harvest processing through capacity
building and post-harvest support for farmers and fishers, establishment of a national baseline
and periodic assessment on food loss and wastage, and aggressive promotions to reduce food
loss and waste along the food value chain. These align with advocacies on farm clustering,
professionalizing community-based organization, and establishment of food banks.
○ Address malnutrition: Interventions related to this will include zero hunger and good health and
well-being, among others.

● Boost nature-positive production at scale

○ Promote inclusive nature-friendly production: The suggested actions were to highlight the
benefits of environment-friendly, agro-ecological, integrated, bio diversified organic farming
practices and food production processes; develop eco-friendly technologies that provide
concrete and attractive benefits to producers; manage natural resources sustainably; and
support the full implementation of sustainable upland development in small island provinces.
Other priority recommendations are around water security and water-use efficiency, proper
nutrient management, data generation and analysis related to soils/farmlands, agro-ecology and
organic agriculture, and proper waste management systems.
○ Empower IPs, fishers, farmers, and communities towards sustainable food production systems:
Priority interventions identified are on awareness campaigns and culture-sensitive capacity
building activities benefitting Indigenous Peoples (IPs), implementation of more gender-inclusive
projects, assistance for upland communities/tenure holders, support from LGUs in issuing local
policies supportive of this endeavor, and provision of incentives to family farmers, fishers, forest-
dwellers and IPs.
○ Give attention to farmers and fishers needs and growth
Priority interventions would include institutionalizing the participation of family farmers in the
formation and operation of National Committees of Family Farming at national and local levels
to implement the Philippine Action Plan for Family Farming in the context of the United Nations
Decade of Family Farming; institutionalizing global environment facilities at the local and national
levels, creating monitoring and information management mechanisms at various levels, with
proper budget allocations, to look out for farmers’ growth, strengthening support for mentoring
and coaching, and community involvement and engagement, and continuing dialogues to
engage farmers, fishers and IPs.
○ Achieve economies of scale and ecosystem services valuation for a market-driven, value chain-
oriented, efficient food system: This will entail farmers and fishers clustering with productivity
and income monitoring mechanisms in place and where empowered farmer clusters are
engaged in more effective business models. Interventions will also be around mitigating post-
harvest losses and food wastage along the value chain, fiscal incentives to private firms, and
improvements in the government’s policies on investments.
○ Improve the role of SUCs in professionalizing Philippine agricultural food systems: This will entail
support for research and technology initiatives, tools and facilities of states, universities, and
colleges (SUCs), revisions of the reward system to university researchers/technology innovators,
and synergy among various sectors for agri-fishery initiatives. Other priority interventions include
strengthening of agri-business incubation centers, multi-sector involvement in the technology
development, adoption, and commercialization processes.

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● Advance equitable livelihood and value distribution

○ Review government’s procurement regulations to include purchase of farmers and fisherfolk
produce/catch: This covers market linkage, promoting fair trade, and farmer professionalization,
accrediting farmers and fishers as suppliers, and streamlining procurement processes for relief
goods purchased from farmers and fisherfolks.
○ Strengthen micro entrepreneurs and cooperatives: Capacity building activities and farmer
consolidation and clustering would be prioritized so farmers can access support for input supply,
credit, machineries, among others, and help diversify markets and eliminate. The support of
national and local government units is critical to harness the full potential of local products.
○ Improve competitiveness of local farmers: Interventions would include capacitating farmers,
fishers, and forest users on technologies and entrepreneurship, examining current wage rates
of farm workers, removing labor discrimination, improving living and working conditions,
establishing measures that would protect the health and safety of agricultural workers, creating
opportunities for increased private sector engagement, putting focus on post-harvest
infrastructure, and improving access of subsistence farmers to livelihood programs such as
DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program.
○ Influence the efficient use of inputs and adoption of modern technology: This covers support to
policies that promote and secure land tenure of farmers, fisherfolk and Indigenous Peoples (IPs),
and establishment of community seed banks. Specifically, these entail full and speedy
implementation of laws such as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with
reforms, Amended Fisheries Code especially the delineation of 928 municipal waters,
Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Funds, the passage of
the Indigenous Communities Conservation Act (ICCA), Alternative Minerals and Management
Act, and enactment of the National Land Use Act.
○ Establish strong market linkage based on the whole-of-society approach: This requires providing
platforms and opportunities for meaningful and on-the-ground multisector conversations,
providing incentives, and providing skills and capacity building for vulnerable groups. This could
also provide further support for the provision of basic physical, health, communications, market
infrastructures in the rural areas.

● Build resilience to vulnerabilities, shocks, and stresses

○ Reduce and prevent risks in the food systems: This focuses on the sustainable use of natural
resources, innovations on location-specific sustainable technologies, adoption of appropriate
technological and socio-economic practices, and promotion of community-based, disaster-
resilient food systems facilities. Interventions also include enhanced support to community-
based service providers, research and development on yield improvements, and production
failure risks reduction that are adapted to local conditions. Priority actions would also be around
better watershed management, soil conservation measures, rain and flood water harvesting,
promotion of salt-tolerant crops, transforming food production groups into climate-resilient
businesses, and increased youth engagements in food systems.
○ Strengthen disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation governance in
agriculture and fisheries: Interventions will be around building capacities, policies, and
institutional frameworks and plans for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and low-
carbon facilities, food safety, and pests and diseases management. This could include increased
investments in public good and integration of disaster risk reduction and climate change
adaptation and mitigation for food systems into the Provincial Physical Framework Plans and
Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
○ Enhance knowledge management and finance-based forecasting and early warning systems:
Disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation and mitigation information systems would
be enhanced in terms of monitoring and early warning systems or rapid alert systems of multiple
threats. Climate information service also needs to be institutionalized at municipal level and
provided to farmers and fisherfolks.

OPERATIONALIZING THE PATHWAY

For the Philippine Department of Agriculture which is mandated to promote agricultural development by providing
the policy framework, public investments, and support services needed for domestic and export-oriented
business enterprises, this transformation is guided by the OneDA Reform Agenda and Food Security Framework.
This reform agenda is anchored on modernization, industrialization, value chain-based consolidation, and
professionalization being undertaken through a whole-of-nation and whole-of-government approach. To cover all
the elements of the food systems, the current Food Security Framework is being expanded to initiate a
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transformational change that will result in a more resilient, inclusive, competitive, and environmentally-
sustainable agricultural sector.

Critical Actors for Food Systems Transformation

The pathway towards the Philippine food systems transformation will pursue a good governance perspective that
promotes harmonization, alignment, ownership, transparency, and mutual accountability of national and local
governments, civil society, the private sector, research and academe, medical groups and practitioners, farmer
and fisher groups, and international organizations. This transformation process will require long-term
commitments, balancing of risks, rewards, and trade-offs, and management of conflicts, tensions, and political
battles, with the government at the helm, and ensures that various government agencies are aligned towards
achieving the overall goals. The roles of each sector will further be identified when the plans are finalized,
monitoring mechanisms are established, and task forces and committees are set up. The local government units
(LGU), for one, will also play major roles in acting as food security czars in their areas, given the Mandanas
ruling1, consequently, the national government will have to invest in supporting the LGUs to perform their tasks.
The investment in research for development is highly encouraged and we call for support for global research
groups such as the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which continue to
develop technologies relevant to food systems.

Global coalitions and international cooperation also play important roles in building partnerships among member
states, and facilitating alliances and technical assistance will further support the operationalization of this pathway
while contributing to global goals. The Philippine government is supporting the Coalition of Actions including the
Zero Hunger, School Meals, Healthy Diets, Family Farming, Agroecology, and Sustainable Productivity Growth
(SPG).

The implementation of this pathway will also largely depend on a country’s ability to access and adequately utilize
funding for food systems transformation. In this, the role of the private and public sectors and donor agencies are
critical.

Follow-through Actions Needed

This Pathway towards a transformed Philippine food system is envisioned to be solidified by well-interpolated
budget allocations that are integrated in the Work and Financial Plans of various government agencies and local
government units. To ensure that the plans in this Pathway will be enhanced, finalized, institutionalized, and
implemented, the following activities need to be carried out:

● Pathway Review and Finalization

● Pathway Institutionalization; Incorporating the Pathway in national plans and institutional documents
● Creation of Food Systems Consortium with committees and subcommittees
● Data Generation, Consolidation, and Analysis (Database Creation and Review of legislations and
policies)
● Creation of Program Plan of Action including short-, medium-, and long-term goals, budget support
requirements, monitoring frameworks, and sustainability mechanisms
● Creation of Resource Mobilization Plan and Communications and Engagement Plans, Rationalize the
investment requirements vis-a-vis available government funds and international community support
● Development of progress tracking, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanisms
○ Apart from reporting via the Voluntary National Review wherein countries assess and present
progress made in achieving the 2030 SDGs, specific indicators are intended to be established
and/or integrated in existing M&E and information management systems.
○ This can be done through an M&E Committee under the proposed Food Systems Consortium,
which may be managed in collaboration with the existing Inter-Agency Task Force on Food
Security.

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Supreme Court (SC) decision on the Mandanas case specifies that the just share of LGUs, also known as Internal Revenue
Allotment (IRA), must be computed based on all national taxes, and not just from National Internal Revenue Taxes (NIRT).
This includes other taxes such as those collected by the Bureau of Customs and agencies that are authorized by law to
collect NIRT.
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Connections between the Pathway and other planning documents

The Philippines food systems pathway must be incorporated in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) which
serves as the country’s overall development blueprint, as well as in the other existing policies such as the Pilipinas
AmBisyon Natin 2040, Export Development Plan (EDP), Philippine Action Plan for Family Farming, Public
Investment Program (PIP), National Food Policy, Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN), and other climate
change related policies.

Further, this would be reinforced in forthcoming global dialogues such as the COP26, and the Nutrition for Growth
(N4G) Summit. In pursuing SDG No. 17, the Philippine Government may highlight the importance of
strengthening regional and international cooperation for a robust and meaningful new normal, and the renewal
of the ratified agreements. Specifically, the CIRDAP Establishment Agreement under the aegis of the UN FAO
in 1979 is a durable instrument requiring a fresh look on its Mission to promote regional cooperation on poverty
eradication, agrarian reform, and rural development.

Journey Beyond the Pathway

The Philippines Food Systems Transformation Pathway aims to provide guidance in reviewing and expanding
existing policies and plans while remaining aligned with Philippine Development Plan, and being conscious of
efforts towards the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

This Pathway requires a high level of governance and cooperation, supported by the country’s democratic
processes, which manifest the Filipinos’ shared humanity. Operationalizing this Pathway requires a multi-level,
multi-sector, and multi-disciplinary approach and commitment to expound on the priority areas and strategies
enumerated in this document and develop a more comprehensive, integrated, mutually reinforcing, and
collaborative national policy and plan of action.

Moreover, with the uncertainty of societal and environmental events, the various programs of action to implement
the Pathway would need to be regularly reviewed and updated as necessary. There should be room for mindset
shifts or behavioral changes as well as resilience building that will allow Filipinos to adapt responsibly and
effectively in the event of shocks and disruptions.