Why the Philippines Chooses to Import Rice

Human Ecology and Food Systems: Insights from the Philippines

“…An ongoing focus on staple commodities such as rice, sugar, and maize has narrowed the focus on rural development opportunities and failed to create diversity of livelihood opportunities (UNDP, 2013). The dominant Philippines food system is defined here as one that focuses on production of commodities for international markets, supported by high productivityoriented policies and technological development (Davidson, 2016;Timmer, 2014Timmer, , 2015UNDP, 2013). This system was selected because the country's dominant land use continues to be oriented toward key cash crops, which often encroach on traditional and indigenous local food systems (Borras, 2007;Cororaton & Corong, 2009;Timmer, 2015).…”

“…The national Philippine food system is not delivering adequate food and nutritional security outcomes to the Philippines population (Davidson, 2016;Philippine Statistic Authority, 2014a). The incidence of poverty in agricultural households is three times that of non-agricultural ones, with farmers often facing "hungry seasons" when crops are not produced or climate shocks affect production (Reyes et al, 2012).…”

“…Nearly one-quarter (24%) of the national adult population is overweight and 5% is obese (International Food Policy Research Institute [IFPRI], 2015). Rapid population growth has concerned policy-makers for decades (Davidson, 2016;Zamora et al, 2013) and two broad focus areas have driven food and nutrition security policies. The first focus area has centered on improving farm productivity to create market surplus of staple commodities in an attempt to secure domestic self-sufficiency (Coxhead et al, 2001;Stone & Glover, 2016).…”

“…Indigenous food production systems, including upland swidden systems, continue to provide basic food for families that have limited income opportunities and face multiple pressures from market-led development and agricultural policies (Cuevas et al, 2015;Dressler, 2005). Philippines food security is dependent on food imports to meet domestic demands for rice, a major cultural dietary staple (Davidson, 2016), making the country vulnerable to potential market shocks that see reductions in trade. When compared to global standards set by the World Health Organization's baseline indicators, the Philippines has severe levels of stunting (30.3%) and underweight children (19.9%), and medium severity in wasting (7.9%) among children aged zero to five years (IFPRI, 2015).…”

“…The food and nutrition security outcomes of the Philippine food system are not being achieved (Davidson, 2016). The state of human well-being is highly inequitable, with rural communities marginalized from development processes that have prevented their ability to achieve nutritious diets.…”