MANILA — Agriculture experts are pushing for urban farming in communities to address issues in food production in the Philippines.

Former Agriculture Secretary William Dar said institutionalizing urban agriculture could address problems in food prices as it would eliminate some stages in the food value chain such as logistics.

"You have problems of transporting these fruits and vegetables from faraway provinces, so it will be best of arrangements if we develop vegetable and fruits around… You are nearest where the demand is needed,” Dar said.

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Urban farming will also be an opportunity for farmers to be climate resilient, according to International Association for Vertical Farming Vice Chairman Joel Cuello.

“We are living in the era of climate change… Some farmers in Bukidnon, they were growing traditionally high-value crops outdoors and now there are no longer able to do that because of the precipitation… They have to be able to do what they used to do for many years inside a rudimentary greenhouse that is in a controlled environment,” Cuello said.

But for urban farming to be a sustainable business venture, Dar noted that there needs to be a change in mindset in Filipinos’ vegetable consumption.

He said Filipinos consume around 60 kilos of vegetables per year, lower than the annual average of 100 kilos in other countries.

Dar said this was a challenge in inviting the private sector to invest in urban farming.

Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. President Cecilio Pedro agreed that urban farming could be sustainable if there is a potential for profitability with increased demand for agricultural products.

“Ano ang tinatahak natin? Food security. Yong kinakain natin dapat local… Kaming mga negosyante, we are willing to invest as long as we can see that it is going to be profitable in the future. At the end of the day, it’s about making profit so we can sustain the operation,” Pedro said.

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For the Department of Agriculture, it is vital for communities to go into urban farming as a food production system in every barangay.

However, DA-Bureau of Plant Industry Director Glenn Panganiban said urban planning is not meant to replace traditional farming but to complement it.

“We want to upscale, if not upscale [then] engage the private sector… We know na hindi ‘yon kaagad magagawa so we want to have demo farms, businesses sharing best practices and really, meron bang future dito? ...It’s the demand of the market that can sustain. If we have that upscale production systems, we can produce and complement. ‘Yon ‘yong goal ng programa,” Panganiban said.8