Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Sunday said that sustainable farming is essential to ensuring the country’s food security and long-term economic resilience, amid mounting threats from climate change, population pressures, and diminishing farmlands.
Speaking at the 2025 Sustainable Agriculture Forum hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Tiu Laurel warned that “climate volatility, shrinking farmlands, and aging farmers are not future risks—they are current economic and food security threats demanding immediate, adaptive responses.”
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is steering a strategic pivot toward climate-smart, precision, and regenerative agricultural practices. These include revised cropping calendars, AI-powered farm management systems, fertigation-enabled greenhouse farming, and water-saving technologies such as alternate wetting and drying.
These innovations aim not only to protect food supply chains but to strengthen rural economies by improving yields, conserving resources, and making farming a more viable livelihood. “Building agricultural resilience is now an economic imperative,” said Tiu Laurel, stressing that farming must be made attractive to the next generation through digital mentorships, scholarships, and agritech startup incubators.
The DA’s broader sustainability push also includes mobile soil labs, expanded crop insurance, localized climate advisories, and the Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid Program—offering affordable loans and guaranteed markets, currently piloted for rice.
With the Philippines facing increasingly erratic weather due to its geographic exposure, Tiu Laurel called for deeper public-private collaboration to scale innovations, strengthen food systems, and deliver inclusive growth.
“Our future hinges on how boldly and inclusively we act today,” Tiu Laurel said.
