UP CIDS- UPLB Food and Nutrition Security Roundtable Discussion
The UP CIDS Food and Nutrition Security Program organized a Roundtable Discussion (RTD) on Policy Convergence in Action: Measuring Impact, Advancing Agritourism, and Building Food Sovereignty held on 14 November 2025 at the REDREC Auditorium, UPLB College of Economics and Management. The event brought together researchers, practitioners, and students to explore how coherent policies can advance sustainable agritourism, strengthen local food systems, and promote food sovereignty in the Philippines.
The RTD showcased the key findings of three project components. The first project component, presented by Dr. Jennifer Marie S. Amparo, Dean of the College of Human Ecology, initiated the development of food and nutrition security policy coherence indicators in the Philippines, using the identified published studies, FNS experts-sought indicators, and the BARMM experience as a case study to identify gaps in current policies and emphasize the importance of context-based definitions for promoting sustainable and inclusive food systems.. The reactor/discussant was Dr. Eva A. Goyena of DOST-Food and Nutrition Research Institute.
The second project component, presented by Asst. Prof. Maria Theresa M. Castro, of the Institute of Cooperatives and Bio-enterprise Development of the College of Economics and Management (ICOPED-CEM) analyzed the agritourism and food nexus in the context of the Province of Palawan and explored how community- based organizations contribute to food security across multiple dimensions, identified key policies and programs where they played a role, and offered recommendations to enhance their potential in improving food and nutrition security. The reactor/discussant was Mr. Francis Joseph Perdigon of Perdigon Farm in Butuan City.
The third project component centered on local food systems in Topdac, Atok, Benguet. Asst. Prof. Reymond Denver Q. Buenaseda of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics of the College of Economics and Management (DAAE-CEM) discussed initiatives supporting local farmers and identified pathways for strengthening food sovereignty. It also assessed the ability of Topdac, Atok, Benguet to migrate to being food sovereign in the near future by evaluating the capability of the local food suppliers to provide all the food needs of the community using local resources, which include the proper location of food sources. The reactor/discussant was Dr. Bates M. Bathan of DAAE-CEM.
Overall, the roundtable served as a platform for dialogue and reinforced shared responsibility of academic institutions, government agencies, and local communities in shaping integrated policies that advance agritourism, reinforce local food systems, and contribute to long-term sustainable development in the Philippines.
