Climate change project to benefit 1.25-M farmers

The signing of the tripartite Operational Partners Agreement for the USD 39.2-million (M) project between the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PAGASA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) signals the official implementation of the Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) project, benefiting 1.25-M farmers in the climate-vulnerable regions in the country.

Signed by DA Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr., DOST-PAGASA Administrator Dr. Nathaniel T. Servando, and FAO Representative in the Philippines Dr. Lionel Dabbadie on September 17, 2024, the seven-year initiative aims to boost the resilience of rural communities reliant on agriculture. The project spans five regions, nine provinces, and 100 municipalities across the country.

Building on over a decade of work under the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Program, DA’s flagship climate change program that developed a community-based resiliency model, the Agri Chief described the APA Project as an expansion and intensification of these efforts to better assist those who are most in need.

“Our combined efforts in implementing the APA Project will strengthen the foundation of progressive and resilient communities that we have begun through our various climate-resiliency-building initiatives under AMIA and other DA programs,” he said.

As one of the most climate-risk countries in the world, the Philippines continues to face frequent and catastrophic extreme weather events, such as tropical cyclones, droughts, floods, and irregular precipitation that threaten both the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and the food security of millions of people.

A key outcome of the project is the adoption of climate-resilient farming practices by farmers, empowering them to establish sustainable enterprises. The project also aims to strengthen regulatory frameworks, enhance market systems, and improve knowledge management to mainstream and scale up climate-resilient agriculture across the country.

FAO Representative in the Philippines