Lessons from COVID-19 Let’s Grow Our Own Food; Foolish to Rely on Imports!

America, the great world superpower, is learning a painful lesson that over-dependence on the global supply chain for critical requirements like medicines could be very “dangerous.”

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro summed it all up when he said: “No matter how many treaties you have, no matter how many alliances, no matter how many phone calls, when push comes to shove you run the risk, as a nation, of not having what you need.”

That warning could very well apply to food security.

The Philippines, a rich agricultural country, must learn from this Pandemic that it is foolish to believe that we could just source our food supplies, especially rice, from our neighbors since our cost of production is higher than theirs.

As things stand now, with the threat of skyrocketing prices of rice in the world market, we would end up paying more than if we had poured investments on our local food production program.

We need to review our policies, especially when it comes to agriculture and fisheries investments and the sharing of the national financial pie.

Giving Agriculture and Fisheries only P50-B while a dole-out program gets P140-B every year is a policy which needs to be reviewed.

The Build, Build, Build Program must also shift its focus on rural and agricultural infrastructure rather than excavating and repaving still functional highways.

As for the rice sufficiency program, I still maintain that given the needed support – more irrigation facilities, maximum utilization of research and development programs like the hybridization program and support for fertilization and credit – it could be achieved.

I know that I have been publicly ridiculed because of this advocacy for rice sufficiency but I still hang on to the conviction that, with the needed support, the Philippines could be food sufficient.

This is not the time to say: “I told you so!” but I believe our economic planners have to accept this rude awakening and realize that global food supply inter-dependence and the total free market mantra are just myths.

In times if crisis, the survival of a nation will depend on how well it could feed its people.

I hope the Holy Week will give all of us the time to meditate and ponder on the meaning of the events unfolding before our very eyes.

May God enlighten us, help us swallow our evil pride and think of what is best for our people.

#PainfulLessonsFromCOVID!

#AgricultureIsCommonSense!