THE Department of Agriculture (DA) underscored Saturday the need to attain national food security as it will lead the annual observance of World Food Day (WFD) in the country on Monday.
“We join other governments of the world in implementing inclusive and sustainable agriculture and fishery programs to attain national food security, and nurture healthier, strong and free citizens,” said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.
Monday's celebration, in partnership with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), will commence with a photo essay and products exhibit at the DA central office. The culminating program will be on October 16, at Liwasang Aurora, Elliptical Circle, in Quezon City.
Alcala, accompanied by Toshihiro Tanaka, FAO Representative in the Philippines, will lead the WFD activities, along with other top DA and FAO officials. This year’s theme is ““Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition.”
The Agriculture secretary said his office will continue to help reduce the incidence of hunger and malnutrition by empowering small farmers and fisherfolk, "enabling them to increase their productivity and incomes, and encouraging them to adopt sustainable, environment-friendly farming and fishing technologies.”
For his part, Tanaka said, “the FAO supports member-governments in addressing malnutrition which requires integrated action and complementary interventions in agriculture and the food system, natural resource management, public health and education, trade and marketing, and in broader policy domains.”
In the Philippines, among the FAO undertakings include joint efforts with the DA on the assessment of climate change impacts, and mapping of vulnerability to food insecurity to strengthen household food security, the establishment of a food security information system in support of the DA’s Food Staples Sufficiency Program, and the scaling up of the early warning system for food and nutrition security, said Tanaka, who is also the concurrent UN Development Program (UNDP) country director in the Philippines.
Alcala said the DA partners with local government units, concerned government and private agencies, and farmers’ and fishers’ groups to reduce malnutrition, particularly among children, by providing their farmer- and fisher-parents needed technical and marketing support to produce enough food for their sustenance and additional income. (SDR/Sunnex)