The evidence-based sector-wide assessment opens with analyzing time-series global and regional trade data and agriculture and fisheries policies. It presents evidence of the agrifisheries sector constituting the country's poor and questions the decades of government support in the form of subsidies toward rice self-sufficiency. The analysis presents a strong case for diversification in production systems and value chains—a shift from single commodity focus toward a commodity systems approach to planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating the transformation of the agri-fisheries sector. The narratives in various chapters acknowledge and align with the DA Food Security/New Thinking composed of eight paradigms and the OneDA holistic approach to agri-fisheries transformation. The report then puts primacy on the health and welfare of all food consumers and environmental sustainability with the aim of building a dynamic agri- fishery-food economy.
Furthering the value chains approach and climate resiliency planning introduced since AFMP 2011-2017, the assessment points the way to operationalizing agri-fishery industrial business corridors with the benefit of digital technology advances in spatial planning, calling for further building up as well as consolidating the agri-fishery and whole-of government bureaucracy's capacities and initiatives in spatial planning, data analysis, and data management. The assessment also factors the status and requirements in infrastructure and logistics and agricultural credit toward a modernizing and industrializing AF sector. Further, the report takes note of the impacts of the current COVID-19 pandemic on sector performance and draws lessons and recommendations from its lessons.
The AF sector accomplishments in research, technology development, extension, education and training are well noted. Changes in the agricultural innovation system toward transforming the sector into a dynamically modernizing and industrializing one, with strategies of consolidation and professionalization, are asserted.
Finally, cross-cutting analyses in governance, monitoring and evaluation, and on communicating strategically with various AF stakeholders call for rethinking how we organize for promoting readiness and engagement of stakeholders and partners in, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating agri-fishery and food systems transformation if we are serious about reaching Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita toward Ambisyon Natin 2040.
