On World Food(less) Day, the Center for Women’s Resources stands with farmers, fisherfolks, rights defenders, and various organizations in condemning the state’s failure to address the pervasive food insecurity and hunger in the country.
This year, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations highlights the theme “Right to food for a better life and a better future.” In the Philippines, the current administration’s brazen disregard for this fundamental human right is evident. According to the 2022 UN State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, over 50.9 million Filipino people faced moderate to severe food insecurity.
Rising food prices amid stagnant low wages contribute to the escalating number of hungry and impoverished Filipinos. Farmers and fisherfolks, who are our local food producers, often experience hunger themselves, and remain the poorest in the country.
Recent climate disasters have devastated rural communities, yet farmers have received little to no compensation for their losses. Furthermore, the government’s aggressive push for import liberalization not only hampers our capacity for local food production but also threatens the livelihoods of those in agriculture. The extensive land use conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural uses like commercial and residential, also threatened food production systems, food sovereignty and farmers’ livelihood.
CWR enjoins everyone to support our food producers’ demands for genuine land reform and supporting domestic food production. Only then we can ensure the right to food for a better life and a better future. #
