The tripartite initiative is envisioned to help improve the rice sector of the Philippines and contribute to national food security and socioeconomic development.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) of the Republic of Korea, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines have signed an agreement formalizing their partnership to undertake a global initiative that will support the strengthening of the country’s rice value chains through capacity building and policy development.

The agreement that puts into force the initiative named “Capacity Development and Experience Sharing for Rice Value Chains through South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC)” was signed by Ms Kati Hannele Tanninen, FAO Representative in the Philippines, on behalf of FAO, and by Dr. William D. Dar, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA) on behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, on 3 February 2022.

The SSTC initiative will enable the Philippines to find sustainable, cost-effective, and economically viable solutions that will reinforce and enable the country to further improve its rice value chains and contribute to the overall development of its rice sector.

The project will leverage the strengths and related experiences of the three other countries participating in the initiative – Tanzania, Côte d’Ivoire and the Republic of Korea – to complement the Philippines’ own rice value chain initiatives.

Prior to the signing of the agreement, FAO and the DA have already been closely collaborating under the project. In 2020, the DA designated the Philippines Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) as the project national focal point. In 2021, FAO, in collaboration with PhilRice, successfully organized a virtual inception workshop and a hybrid international policy workshop, where experts from the DA, PhilRice, the Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), among others, provided inputs to enrich the project. Relatedly, FAO has also undertaken an assessment of the capacity development gaps and needs of the country’s rice experts and rice value chain stakeholders that the project could address.

This SSTC initiative is testament to FAO and the Republic of Korea’s commitment to help the Philippines realize the full economic potential of its rice sector and contribute towards national development.