The regional congress will be a venue for discussing and promoting cross learning in RTC science and technology, policy measures, and pragmatic approaches for exploiting opportunities and challenges amidst climate change.
Media Release:
ROOT and tuber crops (RTCs) are notably versatile crops because of their various purposes not just in agriculture and health but also in food security and climate change resilience.
In the post-Haiyan typhoon in the Philippines, sweet potato and cassava were the main crops distributed as planting materials in the food relief and rehabilitation efforts in Leyte and Samar, two of the hardest hit provinces.
However, despite their potential to address agricultural, environmental, and health-related concerns, RTCs are often overlooked and undervalued.
Multi-agency collaboration
There are untapped opportunities for increasing utilization and consumption of RTCs, and the productivity in smallholder farms remains low due to a host of reasons. Efforts of policies geared toward the improvement of the industry and investment in R&D (research and development) are limited and dissemination of technology is inefficient.
Nevertheless, over the last decade initiatives have emerged through the financial support from the local government, international organizations and donors.
One of which is the upcoming regional congress, “Root and Tuber Crops for Food Security and Climate Change Resilience in Asia,” organized by the International Potato Center (CIP) and Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) in collaboration with the Philippine Root Crop Research and Training Center (PhilRootcrops) of the Visayas State University (VSU) with financial support from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the European Union (EU).
It will be held on October 17 to 18, 2019 at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City.
The regional congress will be a venue for discussing and promoting cross learning in RTC science and technology, policy measures, and pragmatic approaches for exploiting opportunities and challenges amidst climate change.
Furthermore, the event aims to share the key findings, knowledge products and recommendations for further scaling up of innovations introduced by FoodSTART+, a research grant funded by the EU and IFAD, which partnered with five large-scale IFAD investments in the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Vietnam to enhance food resilience in upland and coastal communities, the most vulnerable to climate change, through RTC innovations.
Increased understanding, awareness, appreciation of RTCs
Over 100 participants have already registered for the Congress. Besides a large representation from the Philippines, participants from several other Asian countries are expected to join and contribute, including from India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Indonesia, and Pacific islands.
The Congress will consist of four parts: Plenary Sessions on breeding, agronomy, pest and disease management, and contribution of roots and tubers to the resilience of agri-food systems; Knowledge Learning Fair (KLF) showcasing innovations in seed systems, postharvest practices and product development from selected organizations; Roundtable discussions; and Field Visits in Pampanga to present successful experiences on cultivation, processing and contractual arrangements for sweetpotato and cassava.
Through this initiative, it is hoped that researchers, extension workers, policy makers, private sector, development practitioners, farmers’ organizations, donors, media practitioners, and the general public will altogether gain improved understanding, greater awareness, and increased appreciation of RTCs and their benefits in addressing societal issues, including food security and climate change resilience (DOST-PCAARRD S&T Media Services)