AGRICULTURAL cooperatives are seen as key buffers against food insecurity as rising fuel prices linked to Middle East tensions and a looming El Niño phenomenon threaten production and supply in the Philippines.
The issue was highlighted during the Knowledge and Learning, Innovations, and Trade Expo held April 15 to 17, 2026, in Cebu City. Organized by the Philippine Family Farmers Agriculture Fishery Forestry Cooperative Federation (AgriCOOPh), the event gathered government officials, cooperative leaders and development partners to push stronger systems that can shield farmers and consumers from economic and climate shocks.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro backed the initiative, citing the role of cooperatives in strengthening food systems.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival, for his part, said food security is important. He warned that about 65 percent of the city’s food comes from outside Cebu, making it vulnerable to disruptions.
“If there is a disaster in the next month, we will have no food to eat,” Archival said.
Rising input costs
Irish Baguilat of the Asian Farmers’ Association said small-scale farmers face rising input costs, especially fertilizers, but local initiatives offer practical solutions.
“This is where some of the agri-cooperatives have already been doing that we needed to build on,” Baguilat said, citing organic and low-input fertilizer production.
She said bio-inputs such as Tahakura fertilizer can be scaled up to cut costs and boost self-reliance. Cooperatives also help consolidate produce and link farmers directly to buyers, reducing reliance on traditional markets.
“I think while we are facing the challenge, we can see it as also an opportunity for the initiatives of agri-coops in the Philippines to really get the attention they need and to be valued,” Baguilat said.
Market access push
AgriCOOPh chairman Edelito Sangco said efforts are underway to cut production costs and expand market access.
Plans include direct fertilizer imports, such as nano-urea, through partnerships with international cooperatives, particularly in India.
“With this crisis right now, we are expecting a spike in the prices of fertilizers,” Sangco said, adding that bulk procurement can ease costs.
He said links to government procurement and institutional buyers are also being strengthened, alongside efforts to shift farmers from subsistence to enterprise.
“The mindset needs to be transformed from just farming for consumption to farming for business purposes,” he said, citing plans for a training academy with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
Consolidation efforts
The Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) is pushing consolidation to maximize resources and reduce costs.
CDA Assistant Secretary Luz Yringco said fragmentation remains a major issue despite more than 7,000 agricultural cooperatives nationwide.
“We have more than 7,000 agricultural cooperatives nationwide, but this is also fragmented,” Yringco said.
She said incentives of up to P1 million are offered for mergers to achieve economies of scale, alongside an “agri-cooperative ecosystem” that streamlines government support.
Partnerships with private firms, including mobile store logistics, also aim to bring products closer to markets.
“We are teaching the farmers to produce, sell it and, most importantly, if they have federated, they sell it to the federation that will take care of the marketing side,” she said.
Officials stressed aligning production with climate conditions, particularly the expected impact of El Niño.
Yringco said closer coordination with the Department of Agriculture is needed for crop planning and access to climate-resilient inputs.
Reinhold Hoernle, project director of Deutscher Genossenschafts-und Raiffeisenverband e.V. (DGRV), a German cooperative and banking confederation, said cooperatives remain relevant in crises, rooted in collective action and resource sharing.
DGRV, the national apex and auditing association for Germany’s cooperative sector, is implementing a project in the Philippines funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development to provide consultancy and develop sustainable cooperative structures.
“It means joining hands, producing together, buying in bulk and helping each other,” Hoernle said. / CDF