PH calls for stronger food security coordination in Asia-Pacific

The Philippines, through the Department of Agriculture (DA), is calling for stronger regional coordination to ensure food security across the Asia-Pacific as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East disrupt global supply chains, driving up agricultural input costs.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. raised food security concerns during the Ministerial Segment of the 38th Session of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Asia-Pacific Regional Conference (APRC 38) —a biennial gathering of ministers and senior officials from 46 member states focused on food and agriculture policy coordination.

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

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

A key concern raised in the discussions was the transmission of global energy shocks to domestic agricultural production, according to the DA.

It said that fertilizer and fuel, two of the most critical inputs in farming and food distribution, have seen price increases, with knock-on effects on production costs, transport, and retail food prices.

“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,” said Tiu Laurel.

In the Philippines, the DA said that rising fertilizer costs are particularly difficult during the wet planting season, when demand for inputs is highest. 

The agency added that higher fuel prices have also increased the cost of transporting food across the country’s archipelagic geography, contributing to price pressures on basic commodities and reducing fishing activity due to higher operating costs.

These external shocks are being compounded by climate risks, including the likelihood of a stronger El Niño later this year, which could further strain agricultural output and water availability, the Agriculture Department said.

The DA said the Philippines has outlined a series of domestic mitigation measures, such as fuel subsidies for farmers and fisherfolk, expanded logistics support, investments in cold storage and post-harvest infrastructure, and efforts to promote alternative and non-fossil-based fertilizers, which aim to cushion short-term shocks while strengthening long-term resilience.

The Philippines also called for continued real-time monitoring of commodity and fertilizer prices and supply and early warning by FAO, market transparency, and open and predictable trade among members and reiterated its commitment to regional cooperation, emphasizing that food security challenges are increasingly interconnected and require coordinated responses. —VBL, GMA News