PNFSP Position Paper on Environment

I. Introduction

The Philippine Network of Food Security Programmes (PNFSP) is a network of organizations advocating for the right to food and food sovereignty in the Philippines. Our mission is to ensure that all Filipinos—especially marginalized sectors such as farmers, fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, women, and children—have access to safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food.

Despite being an agricultural nation, the Philippines continues to suffer from hunger, food insecurity, landlessness, and environmental degradation. The current agricultural policies favor large agribusiness corporations, leaving small-scale farmers and fisherfolk struggling for survival. Climate change further threatens food production, while land grabbing and commercial development displace communities from their resources.

To address these challenges, we strongly advocate for the government to subsidize and support healthy, equitable, climate-resilient, and sustainable food systems. This requires strengthening local food production and ensuring secure access to land, fisheries, and other productive resources.

II. The Problem: A Food System That Fails the People

1. Marginalization of Small-Scale Food Producers

The Philippines’ food system is dominated by corporate agribusiness and market-driven policies that prioritize profit over people. Government subsidies and support mechanisms disproportionately benefit large-scale industrial farms, while small farmers and fisherfolk struggle to access credit, resources, and fair markets.

Key Issues:

• Landlessness: Many farmers still lack land ownership due to ineffective agrarian reform policies.

• Resource Insecurity: Fisherfolk face declining fish stocks due to overfishing, commercial fishing, and destructive projects.

• Limited Access to Support: Small-scale food producers receive little to no financial, technical, or infrastructural assistance from the government.

  
  

2. Climate Change and Environmental Degradation

Climate change has severely impacted agricultural production, making it harder for communities to grow food. Rising sea levels, typhoons, droughts, and erratic weather patterns threaten livelihoods and food supply. Additionally, industrial agriculture contributes to environmental degradation through excessive use of pesticides, deforestation, and soil depletion.

Key Issues:

• Natural disasters frequently destroy crops, leaving farmers without income.

• Industrial farming depletes natural resources, reducing soil fertility and biodiversity.

• Climate-resilient farming techniques remain underfunded and unsupported.

3. Lack of Food Sovereignty and Dependence on Imports

Despite being an agricultural country, the Philippines relies heavily on food imports—from rice and vegetables to fish and meat. This weakens local food production, making the country vulnerable to global market fluctuations and food price increases.

Key Issues:

• The government prioritizes food importation over local food production, undermining small farmers.

• Agricultural policies favor export-oriented cash crops (e.g., bananas, pineapples) over staple crops like rice and corn.

• Indigenous food systems and traditional knowledge are being displaced by corporate-controlled farming practices and are destroyed by destructive development projects.

III. The Solution: Subsidizing a Just and Sustainable Food System

To ensure a healthy, equitable, climate-resilient, and sustainable food system, we call for the redirection of government subsidies and investments toward local food producers and sustainable agriculture. This requires a comprehensive policy shift based on the following pillars:

1. Strengthening Local Food Production

•     Increase agricultural subsidies for small-scale farmers and fisherfolk instead of large agribusinesses.

•     Promote agroecology and climate-resilient farming through research, training, and financial support.

•     Ensure fair pricing policies so local producers receive just compensation for their products.

•     Develop community food hubs to improve market access for small-scale producers.

2. Ensuring Secure Access to Land, Fisheries, and Resources

•     Implement genuine agrarian reform and provide secure land tenure for farmers.

•     Recognize and protect indigenous peoples’ rights to their ancestral lands and food systems.

•     Strengthen laws protecting fisherfolk’s access to municipal waters and prevent large-scale commercial fishing from depleting marine resources.

•     Support sustainable community-based resource management initiatives.

3. Promoting Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Agriculture

•     Invest in climate-resilient crops and indigenous seed banks.

•     Support farming practices that conserve soil, water, and biodiversity.

•     Encourage diversified and organic farming to reduce dependence on chemical inputs.

•     Fund disaster risk reduction programs to help farmers and fisherfolk recover from climate-related shocks.

4. Shifting Agricultural Policies Toward Food Sovereignty

•     Prioritize local food production over food import dependency.

•     Support farm-to-market programs that link farmers directly to consumers.

•     Ban land conversion for destructive industries that threaten food production (e.g., mining, plantations, reclamation projects).

•     Recognize and uplift traditional and indigenous farming systems.

IV. Policy Recommendations

To implement these solutions, we call on the Philippine government to:

1. Reform agricultural subsidy programs to prioritize small food producers, agroecological farming, and climate-resilient agriculture.

2. Fully implement agrarian reform laws and prevent land grabbing  by corporations.

3. Strengthen laws protecting fisherfolk’s access to marine resources and stop destructive fishing practices.

4. Ban the expansion of industrial plantations, mining, and large-scale land conversion that displace farmers and indigenous peoples.

5. Invest in food sovereignty programs that empower local communities to control their food systems.

6. Ensure fair wages and protections for agricultural workers, especially women farmers and fishers.

V. Conclusion: A Call for Action

The Philippines must move away from a corporate-controlled, unsustainable food system and build a future where food sovereignty, environmental justice, and social equity thrive.

The government must act now. Policies must shift to support the people who feed the nation—not the corporations that exploit them. By subsidizing healthy, equitable, climate-resilient, and sustainable food systems, we can ensure that every Filipino has access to nutritious, affordable, and culturally appropriate food.

We urge policymakers, civil society, and grassroots communities to work together in building a food system that truly serves the people.

Food is a human right—not a commodity. Farmers and fisherfolk are the backbone of our nation. A just and sustainable food future is possible—if we demand it now.

Mabuhay ang mga nagtataguyod ng soberanya sa pagkain!