THE country needs more than urban gardens and educational campaigns to attain food security, and infrastructure is a key factor as well, according to a researcher from the state-owned Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
PIDS Supervising Research Specialist Ivory Myka Galang said the food security plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is anchored on promoting home or urban gardening and developing prepackaged nutritious products.
Galang also said the framework includes educational campaigns such as the Pinggang Pinoy seal and school-based nutrition programs such as supplementary feeding to attain food security. More needs to be done to attain food security.
“Infrastructure plays a big role in determining the cost of food. Food, especially perishables, is sensitive to temperature and proper handling. If the food is damaged during transport due to uneven roads or substandard storage facilities, the likelihood of food wastage increases. This will cause food prices to also increase,” Galang expounded in Filipino.
Galang emphasized that it is important to look at food security from a systems view since transport and food sector infrastructure affect food availability and people’s access to food.
She added that food systems are connected to transport, energy, health, and other systems. Addressing food security, Galang added, is a must as it directly contributes to the higher goal of nutrition security.
“Still, the country stands a chance at realizing food security as evidenced by the collaboration of government agencies and other sectors to provide short-term and long-term solutions,” Galang said.
Based on the World Food Summit definition, Galang said food security could be attained if the availability of food supply, physical and economic accessibility, utilization (food consumption, safety, and quality), and price and volume stability were ensured.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that while the Philippines has a 100-percent self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) or the ability to produce to meet domestic demand, its rice, pork, and chicken SSR decreased to 90 percent.
The SSR of tuna and galunggong or round scad was also reduced in recent decades to 90 and 80 percent, respectively.
However, the number of moderately or severely food-insecure Filipino households increased from 43 to 62 percent during the Covid-19 pandemic, based on Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) data.
The Philippines dropped to 67th out of 113 countries in the Global Food Security Index Rating in 2022.