Food Policy in the Philippines

Abstract

The generally weak performance in food supply in the Philippines, especially compared with its neighboring countries, can be attributed to the unbalanced public investments and market restrictions in the food and agriculture sector. The current policy of food self-sufficiency through policies that restrict food imports penalizes poor consumers including food-deficit farmers and worsens child malnutrition and affects long term human development outcomes. This has resulted in low employment growth, and high levels of poverty and malnutrition, especially in the marginalized areas in the country. The country in addition must address problems related to the lack of distribution of land assets, climate change and the entry of genetic modified organisms that has also affected the growth of agricultural production especially in the past thirty years.