ZAMBOANGA CITY, Oct 28 (PIA) – The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines partnered with the Philippine government to convene a meeting with donor agencies and international partners to discuss food security challenges, recently.
The meeting held on October 21 explored opportunities to better coordinate efforts to stabilize the Philippine’s food supply and improve food production.
Discussions were centered on ways to create alignment between development activities and government priorities where officials from the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture, National Economic and Development Authority, and Department of Foreign Affairs joined representatives from the country’s leading agricultural research organizations and development partners such as the Asian Development Bank, the UN World Food Programme, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Participants also exchanged ideas about ways to consolidate efforts and strengthen like-minded partnerships to help boost the country’s food security.
The US Embassy, in its press release noted that external shocks that include commodity price inflation, fertilizer shortages resulting from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, climate change-induced disasters, and the COVID-19 pandemic threaten food security in the Philippines.
The meeting signaled the beginning of engagement among donor agencies, the diplomatic community, and the Philippine government to address food insecurity in line with the priorities outlined by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
The Philippine government also echoed the need for a mechanism to coordinate efforts by government and development partners.
During the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced over $2.9 billion in new worldwide food security assistance from the U.S. government, including $2.14 billion in new USAID commitments, to address the immediate and long-term effects of the global food security crisis affecting nutrition needs of millions of people around the world. (RVC/PIA9 with reports and photo from Information Office, US Embassy in the Philippines)
