PHL pitches fellow FAO members on food-security cooperation initiatives

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said Asia-Pacific coordination will help safeguard food security as the war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global supply chains and drive agricultural input costs higher.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. raised the concern at the Ministerial Segment of the 38^th Session of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC 38) held in Brunei last week.

“We meet at a moment when geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have posed additional risks to global economic and food security through disruptions in oil, gas, and fertilizer exports, which have already triggered price hikes,” Mr. Laurel was quoted as saying in the statement.

The APRC is a biennial gathering of ministers and senior officials from 46 member states focused on food and agriculture policy coordination.

The DA said the Philippines, together with Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Australia, had earlier supported the inclusion of the “food security implications of the 2026 conflict in the Middle East” in the conference agenda.

“The move reflects growing concern that disruptions in oil, gas, and fertilizer exports could intensify inflationary pressures on food systems across the region,” the DA said.

In the Philippines, the DA said rising fertilizer costs are straining farmers during the wet planting season, while higher fuel prices have increased food transport costs and fishing expenses.

The DA also warned that these pressures could be compounded by climate risks, including the possibility of a strong El Niño later this year.

At the conference, Mr. Laurel called for an “agri-food systems approach” that considers income, nutrition, and rural development alongside production.

The Philippines also called for better monitoring of commodities and fertilizer supply, early-warning mechanisms from the FAO, as well as more transparent and predictable trade policies among members.

The DA said the Philippines also identified its priorities as rural infrastructure investment, climate-resilient farming technology, innovative financing mechanisms to attract private capital, stronger coordination with local governments, and inclusive value chain systems. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel