Boosting food security in the Philippines: Inquirer

Shoppers buy meat from road side stalls in a community market in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines on Aug 6, 2021. - Bloomberg

MANILA (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): As the country grapples with record hunger and unprecedented economic difficulties in the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now paying the price for its long neglect of the agriculture sector.

Despite the country's fertile soil and seas rich in resources, farmers and fisher folk are still among its poorest, most marginalised citizens. Hunger, especially in the rural areas, is not only widespread but has worsened with the prolonged or recurring lockdowns, while bottlenecks and disruptions in the supply chain to urban centres have forced consumers to pay higher prices for their food.