This project focuses on policy coherence of Food and Nutrition Security along the Food Systems Framework in the Philippines. By policy coherence, it is defined by the OECD as ‘the systematic promotion of mutually reinforcing policy actions across government departments and agencies to create synergies towards achieving agreed objectives (https://www.oecd.org/governance/pcsd/). Policy coherence is reflected and emphasized in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 for a more systemic approach in mobilizing different sectors and stakeholders towards achieving SDGs. Malnutrition requires an integrated action across sectors, in all dimensions of the food systems, and requires multi stakeholder and multisectoral approaches (FAO, 2013, p.2-3).

In 2019, the International Institute for Rural Reconstruction conducted a workshop to map out the Research and Development Agenda of Food Systems in the Philippines. One of the key findings is “There is research and current data on food and nutrition situations in the Philippines but the food system approach still needs to be integrated into the research agenda.” A number of research and reports highlighted the value of integrating food and nutrition to the food systems concept in order to address issues on equity, nutrition, and sustainability (Simmance et al., 2022; Jiménez et al., 2022; Amparo et al., 2017; Davila et al., 2018; FAO, 2013).

This policy research aims to examine the integration of food and nutrition security along the food system framework in selected areas of the Philippines. Specifically, it aims to: (1) analyse the Philippine national and local food and nutrition security policies along the food systems framework in terms of alignment of objectives, interventions and indicators used; and, (2) determine the views and perceptions of stakeholders in the interrelationships of food and nutrition security across the food system and their sectors’ roles in these intersections and integrations.

In the 2020 report on the Philippine chronic food insecurity (CFI) of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC, 2020), food utilization and food access were found to be the major limiting factors of food insecurity in 79% of the 71 provinces in the country. Specifically, the increase in food retail prices, low purchasing power of the poor, and poor road networks (to traverse villages and farms) were some of the issues that tend to reduce the quality and quantity of food consumed by local households. For many provinces, factors relating to livelihood strategies, recurrent risks such as natural disasters, and financial capital are among the key reasons identified for experiencing poor food access and utilization (IPC, 2020). In addition, social capital and policy and institutional processes were also found to contribute to the food access and utilization problems in about 58% of the provinces included in the IPC chronic food insecurity classification.

This project will explore how cooperatives can be leveraged as an effective institutional mechanism for addressing the underlying factors of food insecurity in the country particularly the issues on economic and social access to food (whereas food utilization will be examined in Project 3).

The project seeks to examine the role of cooperatives in addressing the constraints to and inequalities in food access in the Philippines using the case of Oriental Mindoro – a province reported to have moderate CFI level and where 60% of its population were chronically food insecure (IPC, 2020). Specifically, it seeks to:

1. 1. Describe the role of cooperatives in fostering a more equitable distribution of and access to adequate, affordable, safe and nutritious food;
   2. Determine the effect of cooperative membership of producers, traders, retailers and consumers on community and household food access in the province;
   3. Analyze the policy mechanisms that support food security initiatives of cooperatives and other community-based organizations in the province; and
   4. Draw lessons and suggest recommendations for improving food security in Oriental Mindoro and the Philippines.

In the Northern Philippines, and even in the whole country, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) remains the top producer of highland vegetables  like cabbage, carrots, and potato, among others (PSA, 2023). In terms of food availability, Glow foods are in abundance in CAR. However, there seems to be supply management issues for vegetables in this major producing region which could have affected the availability and accessibility of these food items in many parts of the country. An in-depth understanding and analysis of CAR’s vegetable value chain is therefore seen as important if a stable supply of vegetable in the country is to be ensured. This, coupled with a detailed analysis of the state of food and nutrition security and their determinants within varied ecologies would provide valuable information which can be used as sound basis for policymaking for assured food and nutrition security in the country.

The main objective of the proposed study is to analyze the existing food value chains for food and nutrition security within the context of Pinggang Pinoy and under three different types of communities in the Northern Philippines. Specifically, it will:

1. 1. Characterize the households in the three different types of communities in the Northern Philippines taking Benguet as the major source of assorted highland vegetables;
   2. Analyze the role of Benguet suppliers and the different operators in the segments within the food value chains in the different communities;
   3. Assess the critical areas in food value chain governance in the study areas;
   4. Determine the product and geographic flows of the commodities within the food value chain in the different communities;
   5. Evaluate the role of food value chain in the achievement of food security through the different dimensions under the conditions inherent in the different communities;
   6. Determine other actionable specific areas of concern to ensure that every member of each community is food and nutrition secure; and
   7. Craft policy recommendations that will support the actionable specific areas of concern for promoting food and nutrition security in the selected areas and those that are similarly situated.