THE University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) held the Food and Agribusiness Forum–Digital Transformation in Philippine Food and Agribusiness: Innovations for the Future on March 14 at the UA&P Campus in Pasig City.
SEARCA Center Director Glenn Gregorio said that to achieve more efficient and broadly beneficial agriculture, "we must strategically deploy novel technologies."
"This forum fosters collaboration among key players to accelerate the adoption of technology-driven solutions in food and agribusiness," Gregorio said.
Speakers from prominent Philippine food and agribusiness firms gathered to share real-world strategies to boost farm productivity, streamline operations, and improve access to markets, financing and government support.
Bernardo Villegas, co-founder and professor at UA&P, and a distinguished Filipino economist and educator, delivered the keynote address to set the stage for four-panel discussions exploring digitalization in farm production, logistics, financing and policy development in agribusiness.
Leaders from Lionheart Farms, Anihan Agritech, Harbest Agribusiness and the Philippine Rice Research Institute took part in the first panel discussion, which centered on digitalization in farm production and postharvest, and shared insights on emerging technologies that can enhance efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.
Mayani, KITA Agritech, Agro-DigitalPH, and the Philippine Department of Agriculture's Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service also tackled digitalization in logistics and market access during the second panel discussion, and proposed viable strategies to strengthen supply chains and expand market reach.
Representatives from the Land Bank of the Philippines, Maya Bank, Fuse by GCash and the Department of Agriculture's ICT Service were on the panel during the session on financing in digital agriculture, particularly in terms of financial solutions and investment opportunities that drive agribusiness innovation.
Panelists from SEARCA, East-West Seed, the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture and the Asian Development Bank shared insights on creating an enabling environment for digital transformation in agriculture and provided perspectives from the standpoint of policy and partnerships.