Philippines: Food Security versus Agricultural Exports

The Philippine posted a 6.5% growth in GDP for the 4th quarter of 2012 according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NCSB). The Philippine agricultural sector accounts for 9.3 percent of the total GDP. However, this contributes to only 0.6 percent of GDP growth. The agricultural sector has the second largest group in the labor force with an estimated 32.3 percent of the 37.7 million employed persons based on the labor survey done by the National Statistics Office (NSO) in October 2012. Despite the mass of labor it employs, the sector only grew at a rate of 0.1 percent based on the 4th quarter of 2012. Based on these figures, the Philippines despite being rich in natural resources and agricultural land does not maximize use of the assets it possesses. The researchers would like to know how to increase the value-added of the agricultural sector of the Philippines to the annual GDP and further maximize the utilization of labor.

Measurement, Policy Issues, and Country Studies, 2009

2004

Springer, 2016

This chapter gives an overview of food security situation in selected developing countries. Various indicators of food insecurity in developing countries are discussed and analysed. It highlights the importance of agriculture sector and need for government intervention in the form of price support and public distribution policies to fight against hunger, undernourishment, food insecurity and poverty.

IFAD Research Series, 2022

Developing competitive and inclusive food value chains requires domestic macroeconomic policies to improve the agricultural sector’s business environment and create outside opportunities, and sector-specific targeted measures to promote smallholder participation in competitive value chains by reducing market access costs. Key elements of an agricultural development strategy are: infrastructure investment to reduce transaction costs; improving smallholder access to markets; and promoting their participation in food value chains through empowering and increasing their capacity to comply with food quality and safety requirements. Encouraging innovation and adoption of technologies in all segments of the value chain is crucial for upgrading and diversifying agricultural output. This in turn leads to greater income generation, jobs outside of agriculture, and increased export opportunities. Export diversification strengthens countries’ resilience to trade shocks and reduces vulnerability to the rising costs of food imports.

Science, 2008

2015

Enabling poor rural people to overcome poverty This publication was supported by the Ministry for Agriculture,

Econometrica, 1972