Rice farming is one of the main factors that increase the Philippines’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), according to the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda).
In a recent forum, Neda Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the agriculture sector is second only to transportation in terms of GHG emissions and accounted for 29.9 percent of all emissions in 2010.
“In Asia and the Pacific, agriculture sector emissions are primarily from rice production, increased use of synthetic fertilizers and energy for irrigation and livestock production,” Balisacan said. “Rice cultivation is, likewise, one of the country’s drivers of agricultural emissions.”
Balisacan said this is an example of how growing food can affect the environment. Innovative solutions are needed as reducing energy for irrigation and synthetic fertilizers could lead to lower agricultural yields.
He added that the uncontrolled and unregulated expansion of croplands and grazing areas can lead to deforestation and the conversion of ecosystems.
With this, Balisacan said, greater effort must be exerted to find ways to prevent agriculture from contributing to further GHG emissions while ensuring that all Filipinos and those in the Asia and the Pacific region could meet their food needs.
“Technology plays a considerable role in improving existing production processes. These include climate-resilient crop varieties and animal breeds, water-saving irrigation systems and alternatives to synthetic fertilizers,” Balisacan said.
“Controlled environment crop production systems should also reduce natural resource use and production costs. Common interventions include water management practices like AWD [alternate wetting and drying], improved fodder and feed management for livestock and site-specific nutrient management for crops,” he added.
To complement these interventions, Balisacan said efforts to promote sustainable consumption, including reducing food loss and waste, should also be pursued.
Balisacan added that there is also a need to introduce and implement sustainability and/or eco-labeling as well as providing appropriate incentives are potential mechanisms that can further promote low-carbon consumption.
The Neda chief also articulated the Philippines’ commitment to allocate resources towards the adoption of profitable, climate-smart and resilient technologies.
“To realize these strategies, the Philippines seeks to prioritize investment in research, development and extension of climate-smart and resilient technologies, including nature-based solutions. The country also aims to improve the marketability and profitability of low-carbon technologies and products by facilitating linkages and collaboration among innovators, entrepreneurs and industries,” he said.
Balisacan’s views formed part of his keynote speech during the 2023 Asia Pacific Agricultural Policy Roundtable on “Enabling Measures to Mitigate GHG Emissions Toward Resilient Agriculture and Sustainable Rural Development.”
He emphasized the importance of weighing other important socioeconomic objectives even as an economy pursues the goal of mitigating GHG emissions for the promotion of sustainable rural development.
The 2023 APAP Roundtable was co-organized by Neda and the Global Agricultural Policy Institute. It was attended virtually and in person by a diverse group of experts in the fields of economics, climate change and agricultural and rural development.
The roundtable was convened to discuss the multifaceted impacts of climate change on food security, existing and emerging investments and initiatives aimed at mitigating emissions in the agriculture sector.
Image credits: www.philrice.gov.ph