The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) will hold a roundtable series on agriculture to foster more cooperation among stakeholders in the sector.
"We are excited to partner with the BSP in this initiative to promote sustainable agriculture practices in Southeast Asia. Through this roundtable series, we hope to foster greater collaboration among key stakeholders to address the challenges faced by the region's food and agriculture systems, as well as promote sustainable development in Southeast Asia," SEARCA Director Glenn Gregorio said.
The roundtable will gather agriculture and rural development experts as panelists who will share their insights, experiences and innovations on agricultural food systems.
It will be divided into two parts, also highlighting topics on how digitalization can be incorporated to improve agricultural productivity. First part of the discussion, according to the central bank, will focus on "digital economies for the food and agriculture sector."
"The discussion will cover the role of digital economies in ensuring broad-based economic growth, as well as strong and flexible supply and value chains that can withstand economic shocks, extreme weather events and other uncertainties," the BSP stated.
"The session will also highlight how digital technologies can improve financial inclusion and enable smallholder farmers to invest and participate in digital economies," it added.
The second part will focus on the subject of carbon farming in Southeast Asia, which will entail stock-taking of the status of carbon farming and opportunities in developing the carbon credit market. The discussion will also centralize current data and technologies related to the region's climate-resilient agriculture.
"The central bank will continue to enhance its collaboration with knowledge platforms and research institutions, such as SEARCA, to unlock opportunities for sustainable finance and contribute to a better understanding of the complex issues surrounding this key topic," BSP Governor Felipe Medalla said.
The two-part roundtable series will be held from April 18 to 19, 2023 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City and will be livestreamed via Zoom and the official Facebook pages of the BSP and SEARCA.
The collaboration is one of the initiatives of the BSP under its 11-point Sustainable Central Banking Strategy. For SEARCA, the roundtable series is part of its 11th Five-Year Plan that is focused on Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation or ATTAIN.