PH Pushes for More Focus on Innovation in Agriculture at FAO Council in Rome

ROME, 10 June 2024 – The Philippines pushed for more emphasis on innovations in the agricultural sector during the discussion of the Program Implementation Report (PIR) 2022-2023 of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the 175th Session of the FAO Council taking place until 14 June 2024 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative Neal Imperial, who sits in the Council for the Philippines, articulated the Asia Regional Group’s comments on FAO’s PIR 2022-2023, FAO’s main accountability document.

“In the current biennium, we propose further outreach offering support for a relatively lower number of countries and territories for the following Program Priority Areas: Blue transformation, One Health, Digital Agriculture, Safe Food for Everyone and Reducing Food Loss and Waste,” Ambassador Imperial said.

Ambassador and Permanent Representative Neal Imperial delivers the Asia Regional Group statement on the first day of the 175th Session of the FAO Council on 10 June 2024 at the FAO Headquarters in Rome, Italy. 

In the joint regional statement, the Asia Regional Group congratulated FAO for its extensive implementation progress and resource mobilization in 2022-23, amid multiple shocks and crises, including conflicts and unprecedented food insecurity. The group welcomed the progress in key FAO programmes and initiatives, including the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP), the implementation of the Science and Innovation Strategy,  the Action Plan of the Strategy on Climate Action, and the Hand and Hand Initiative (HIH Initiative).

In its national statement delivered by Deputy Permanent Representative and Agriculture Attaché Dr. Josyline Javelosa, the Philippines highlighted the need for FAO to continue advancing science and evidence-based normative and standard setting work, including by Codex Alimentarius, and the International Plant Protection Convention along with its e-phyto solution.

The Philippine statement also highlighted the need for FAO to provide more information in its future Program Implementation Report on how it has been supporting the implementation of the UN Decade of Family Farming.

The Philippine delegation to the session is headed by Ambassador and Permanent Representative Neal Imperial.

The Philippines is currently serving as a Council member until 2027 after having been re-elected for a consecutive term in 2023. It has served in the Council several times since 1947.  It also currently serves as the Chair of the Asia Regional Group in Rome for the first semester of 2024.

Elected by the FAO Conference, the Council consists of 49 Member Nations elected for a term of three years. It is the executive organ of the FAO Conference between sessions, exercising functions dealing with the world food and agriculture situation and related matters, current and prospective activities of FAO, including its Programme of Work and Budget, administrative matters, financial management and constitutional matters, among others. The Council holds five regular sessions in each biennium chaired by the Independent Chairperson of the Council (ICC)

Some FAO projects with the Philippines include post-disaster emergency assistance under the TCP and one of the climate financing mechanisms,  the Green Climate Fund for the “Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) Project.”

The Philippines also recently joined the HIH Initiative, which is expected to be helpful in generating further public and private resources for the country’s evidence-based investment plans in agriculture and in detailing opportunities that have the highest potential to reduce poverty and hunger. END