Food security and fishery leaders and policy-makers from Asia Pacific economies have formally adopted the Iloilo Plan of Action that strongly promotes climate resiliency and inclusive growth in the sector.

The policy was adopted as the two-day Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) High Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and the Blue Economy came to a close in Iloilo last Monday.

Proceso Alcala, the Philippine Secretary of Agriculture said the Iloilo Plan of Action – which was eventually endorsed to APEC Leaders who will meet in Manila later this year – was a product of a dialogue process that involved smallholders, including marginal and sub-marginal farmers and entrepreneurs.

“In our hosting of the agriculture, food security and blue economy meetings of the APEC this week, the private sector voice – normally dominated by the big business representatives – has been given the right balance by [sectoral representatives supported by the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries],” Mr Alcala told the reporters in a news briefing at the Iloilo Convention Center.

He said such procedure supports instructions of the President “that we push not just the interests of small and medium enterprises but also the more numerous micro-enterprises, including our small farmers, fishers and agribusiness entrepreneurs – reflecting our objective of fostering all-inclusive growth.”

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