Participants to the initial workshop for developing Agri-Industrial Business Corridors organized by FAO and held in December 2022

Last December, FAO rolled out its capacity development support for the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Agrarian Reform in pursuing the Philippine government’s vision for agri-industrial business corridors or ABCs.

More than 30 representatives from national and regional government agencies, local government units, state universities, and farmers’ groups gathered in Pangasinan for the first in a series of modular workshops, which aim to identify an implementation pathway and a clear framework the sustainable development and operations of ABCs in the Philippines.

ABCs form part of the One DA agenda for modernizing the country’s agriculture and fisheries but are yet to be introduced and mainstreamed across the sector. These corridors can hasten agricultural and agribusiness development through enhanced connective infrastructure and effective institutional arrangements.

FAO and DA have chosen Northern Luzon, particularly Pangasinan and La Union, as its pilot site for training implementers of potential ABCs, but have also expanded the workshops to include trainees from Central Luzon, Eastern Visayas, and Davao Region.

At the Module 1 workshop, FAO shared latest trends and practices on economic and agricultural corridors, which provided useful insights for the envisioned ABCs. The participants also learned how to apply concepts from value chain analysis and territorial and spatial planning for their ABC initiatives.

Technology business incubators from Benguet State University and Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University shared their experiences in managing incubation hubs as catalysts for agribusiness services and innovation in northern Luzon, and potentially for ABCs in the region.