Press Release
March 31, 2011

AGRI INNOVATION IS KEY TO STEMMING FOOD CRISIS

"With complete certainty I can say that with all these catastrophes and global problems, food prices in the Philippines will go up very soon," said Senator Edgardo J. Angara in a recent radio interview. To stop this, he says that the government must build the agriculture sector's capacity to address the increasing needs of the country.

Angara, former Agriculture secretary, explained the interconnected factors contributing to the increase of food prices worldwide.

"It's all interconnected: the normally steady agriculture sector in Russia, China, India and Australia have been negatively affected by flooding, drought and fire as a result of climate change. Harvests in Europe, North and South America and in Asia saw record lows in 2010.

"Meanwhile, the conflict in the Middle East is boosting the price of gasoline, adding to the cost of food transportation. The price of vegetables and grains here in the Philippines have already gone up significantly in the past few months," he said.

According to Angara, the key to soften the local impact of the impending global food crisis is through innovations in the agriculture industry.

"Knowledge and skills in agriculture will always be needed, but what is important now is how we shape the industry to better suit our changing needs. For example, management training or a background in research and development would be good for those who work in this sector," he said.

Angara concluded with a renewed call for immediate action from all the institutions involved.

"We still have time before we feel the full effects of the global food crisis. We must therefore do all that we can to lessen its impact on our country," he urged.

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